money

貨幣　—　Institutions

What is used to pay, serves as the measure of value, and can be stored.

Coinage of Iltutmish — A photograph of the real thing this term names.

Paper money of the siege of Leiden (28 stuivers) — A photograph of the real thing this term names.

That which simultaneously fulfills these three functions (to pay, to measure, to store) is called money. It does not need to be metal; shells, cloth, salt, paper, and ledger numbers have all functioned as money.

⚠ Answering the question 'What is money?' by its material is always a mistake. It is defined by its function, not its material.

References

What is money? — Bank of England　The form of money changes over time; in the UK today, 96% exists electronically as bank deposits and 4% as cash. Last updated 2025-02-27. ⚠ This page does not mention the gold standard (read and confirmed).

Only works and primary sources whose existence has been verified are listed.