Chapter 1
How money got its names
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Chapter 2
Beyond paper and metal
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Chapter 3
Hidden details and security secrets
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Chapter 4
Wild, weird, and record-breaking money
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Chapter 5
Currencies that cross borders
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YOUR GOAL
Master of Secrets of world money
Ch 1 · How money got its names
schopenhauer Origins of Currency Names
A valley of silver, Spanish for weight, or simply round!
schopenhauer The rupee's name traces back to ancient Sanskrit terms for beautifully crafted silver coins.
Fun Fact
Dollar origins: The word 'dollar' comes from Joachimsthal, a valley in the Czech Republic where silver coins called Thalers were minted in 1518.
schopenhauer The Spanish peso and Italian lira both got their names from historical units of weight.
Glossary
etymology (noun)
The study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed over time. For example, the word dollar originally derived from silver coins minted in 1520 in Bohemia.
The study of the origin of words and how their meanings have changed over time. For example, the word dollar originally derived from silver coins minted in 1520 in Bohemia.
Quiz
Which currency, used in South Africa, is named after a prominent gold-producing mountain ridge?
schopenhauer Spin the trivia coin to discover which countries around the world use the dinar.
Quiz
The Spanish 'peso' and the Italian 'lira' both originally referred to which physical property?
Quiz
What does the Sanskrit word 'rupya', the linguistic root of the Indian rupee, literally mean?
Quiz
The Chinese 'yuan', Japanese 'yen', and Korean 'won' all share a linguistic root meaning what?
Quiz
Which ancient Roman silver coin is the direct historical ancestor of the modern dinar?