Money Facts

We’ve created this list of 150 fascinating fun facts about Money for your enjoyment and for you to share with friends!

Includes 100 fun facts about money and 50 fun facts about money especially for kids.

Table of Contents

• Money Facts 1-25
• Money Facts 25-50
• Money Facts 51-75
• Money Facts 76-100
• Money Facts for Kids 1-25
• Money Facts for kids 26-50
• What is Money?
• How Many Kinds of Money Are There?

Money Facts 1-25

Here are 25 fun facts about Money:

1. The word “money” comes from the Latin word “moneta,” meaning “mint” or “coinage.”
2. The world’s first paper money was used in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
3. The first coins were made over 2,500 years ago in Lydia (modern-day Turkey).
4. The first U.S. banknotes were issued in 1862 during the Civil War.
5. The United States dollar is the world’s most traded currency.
6. The Euro is the second most traded currency in the world.
7. The world’s oldest currency still in use is the British pound sterling, which has been in circulation since 775 AD.
8. The United States dollar is the most counterfeited currency in the world.
9. The largest denomination of U.S. currency ever issued was the $100,000 bill, featuring Woodrow Wilson, which was used only for transactions between Federal Reserve Banks.
10. The U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces approximately 38 million notes a day with a face value of approximately $541 million.
11. The world’s most valuable currency is the Kuwaiti Dinar, with a value of about $3.30 USD.
12. The world’s most expensive coin is the 1933 Double Eagle, which sold for $7.6 million in 2002.
13. The world’s most expensive banknote is the 1890 Grand Watermelon, which sold for $3.3 million in 2018.
14. The Bank of England issues more than 2 billion banknotes each year.
15. The average lifespan of a U.S. dollar bill is about 18 months.
16. The world’s first credit card was the Diner’s Club Card, introduced in 1950.
17. The first ATM was installed in 1967 by Barclays Bank in London.
18. The world’s most expensive credit card is the Dubai First Royale Mastercard, which requires a $100,000 annual fee.
19. The first known use of a check dates back to ancient Rome, where people used pieces of bark as a form of payment.
20. The first modern checkbook was issued in 1659 by the Bank of Amsterdam.
21. The first recorded use of a traveler’s check was in 1772 by the British banker John Henry.
22. The first credit card to feature a magnetic stripe was the American Express card in 1970.
23. The first online purchase was made in 1994, when a man purchased a CD by the band Sting from the website NetMarket.
24. The world’s largest denomination banknote is the 100 trillion dollar note issued by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe in 2009.
25. The world’s smallest coin is the 1/4 mill coin of Hungary, which is only 2 millimeters in diameter.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

Money Facts 26-50

Here are another 25 fun facts about Money:

26. The United States Treasury Department has a printing facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where they print over half of the nation’s paper currency.
27. The world’s first automated teller machine was installed in Enfield, London in 1967.
28. The world’s first banknote was printed in China in the 7th century AD.
29. The largest denomination coin ever minted is the 100 kg, $1 million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin.
30. The smallest denomination coin ever minted is the 1/4 mill coin of Hungary, which is worth only 0.0001 USD.
31. The term “buck” for U.S. dollars originated from the time when deerskin was used as a medium of exchange.
32. The term “inflation” comes from the Latin word “inflare,” meaning “to blow up.”
33. The average American household carries over $16,000 in credit card debt.
34. The average American spends over $1,000 a year on coffee.
35. The first recorded use of a coin purse was in ancient Greece in the 4th century BC.
36. The world’s first stock exchange was established in Amsterdam in 1602.
37. The New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization.
38. The United States Mint produces over 13 billion coins each year.
39. The U.S. dollar is the most widely held reserve currency in the world.
40. The world’s first gold coins were minted in Lydia in the 6th century BC.
41. The United States Treasury has a stockpile of over 8,000 metric tons of gold.
42. The world’s largest gold bar weighs 551 pounds (250 kg).
43. The largest diamond ever found is the Cullinan diamond, which weighed 3,106 carats.
44. The largest gold nugget ever found is the Welcome Stranger, which weighed 2316 troy ounces.
45. The world’s most valuable diamond is the Pink Star, which sold for $71.2 million in 2017.
46. The United States is the largest consumer of diamonds in the world.
47. The world’s most valuable stamp is the British Guiana 1-cent Magenta, which sold for $9.5 million in 2014.
48. The world’s largest coin pyramid was built in Germany in 2010 using over 1 million coins.
49. The world’s first banknotes were printed in China in the 7th century AD.
50. The world’s first central bank was the Sveriges Riksbank, founded in Sweden in 1668

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

Money Facts 51-75

Here are another 25 fun facts about Money:

51. The United States Bureau of Engraving and Printing produces over 38 million notes a day with a face value of approximately $750 million.
52. The world’s largest denomination banknote is the 100,000 dollar bill, which was only used for transactions between Federal Reserve Banks and is no longer in circulation.
53. The largest collection of currency notes belongs to Dr. S. Anantharaman from India, who has over 50,000 notes from 180 countries.
54. The oldest known paper money is from China and dates back to the 7th century.
55. The world’s largest coin was created by the Perth Mint in Australia in 2011 and weighs one tonne of 99.99% pure gold.
56. The term “money” comes from the Latin word “moneta,” which was a title given to the goddess Juno, whose temple in Rome was used to mint coins.
57. The term “dollar” comes from the German word “Thaler,” which was a silver coin used widely in Europe during the 16th century.
58. The world’s first ATM was installed in a Barclays Bank branch in London in 1967.
59. The highest denomination note in circulation in the United States is the $100 bill.
60. The smallest denomination note in circulation in the United States is the $1 bill.
61. The United States Treasury once considered issuing a $1 million bill, but the idea was never implemented.
62. The largest collection of coins belongs to a man named Bob Simpson, who has over 1 million coins from ancient times to the present day.
63. The first paper currency in the United States was issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1690.
64. The United States Mint produced its first coins in 1792.
65. The world’s largest collection of Roman coins belongs to a man named Dmitry Markov, who has over 300,000 coins.
66. The term “coin” comes from the Latin word “cuneus,” meaning “wedge,” which refers to the shape of early coins.
67. The world’s first paper money system was established in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).
68. The term “billionaire” was first used in the early 20th century to describe someone with a net worth of over $1 billion.
69. The world’s first credit card was introduced by Diners Club in 1950.
70. The world’s first debit card was introduced by Barclays Bank in 1987.
71. The world’s largest gold reserves are held by the United States, Germany, and Italy.
72. The United States dollar is the most widely used currency in the world for international transactions.
73. The world’s oldest functioning stock exchange is the Stockholm Stock Exchange, which was established in 1721.
74. The world’s largest stock exchange by trading volume is the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
75. The world’s first publicly traded company was the Dutch East India Company, which was established in 1602.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

Money Facts 76-100

Here are another 25 fun facts about Money:

76. The world’s largest IPO (initial public offering) was held by Alibaba in 2014, raising $25 billion.
77. The term “stock” comes from the practice of early Dutch traders gathering in the streets to do business, standing on wooden platforms called “stoks.”
78. The first known stock exchange was established in Amsterdam in 1602.
79. The New York Stock Exchange is the largest stock exchange in the world by market capitalization.
80. The value of all the gold ever mined is estimated to be around $10 trillion.
81. The world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan Diamond, was found in South Africa in 1905 and weighed 3,106 carats.
82. The most expensive diamond ever sold at auction was the Pink Star Diamond, which sold for $71.2 million in 2017.
83. The most expensive painting ever sold at auction is “Salvator Mundi” by Leonardo da Vinci, which sold for $450 million in 2017.
84. The world’s first stock ticker was invented by Edward Calahan in 1867 and used to transmit stock prices over telegraph lines.
85. The United States dollar is the world’s most traded currency, followed by the euro and the Japanese yen.
86. The United States Treasury Department has been printing money since 1862.
87. The $2 bill is the rarest denomination of currency in circulation in the United States.
88. The word “salary” comes from the Latin word “salarium,” which was a payment made to Roman soldiers in salt.
89. The United States Treasury Department shreds approximately 7,000 tons of currency each year.
90. The world’s largest gold coin was created by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007 and weighs 100 kg of .99999 pure gold.
91. The world’s largest silver coin was created by the Perth Mint in 2012 and weighs 1 tonne of .999 pure silver.
92. The United States Mint produced over 28 billion coins in 2020.
93. The United States has produced more than 650 billion coins since 1792.
94. The world’s first central bank was the Swedish Riksbank, established in 1668.
95. The world’s first paper currency was printed in Sweden in 1661.
96. The world’s first paper money in the form of banknotes was issued by the Bank of England in 1695.
97. The world’s first international currency exchange was established in Amsterdam in 1706.
98. The world’s first credit rating agency was established in the United States in 1909 by John Moody.
99. The world’s first stock index was created in 1884 by Charles Dow and Edward Jones.
100. The world’s largest investment management company is BlackRock, with assets under management totaling over $9 trillion.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

Money Facts for Kids 1-25

Here are another 25 fun facts about Money that kids might enjoy:

1. The word “money” comes from the Latin word “moneta,” which means “mint” or “place of coinage.”
2. The world’s largest piggy bank was created in 2019 and measures 3.68 meters tall and 2.85 meters wide.
3. The world’s largest penny was created in 1979 by the New Jersey Zinc Company and weighs 13,000 pounds.
4. The world’s largest coin pyramid was built in Germany in 2015 and used 1,000,000 coins.
5. The United States produces more than 20 billion paper dollars each year.
6. The average lifespan of a $1 bill is 5.8 years.
7. The United States Treasury Department has to print approximately 26 million new bills each day to replace old, worn-out bills.
8. The world’s largest collection of coins belongs to a man in India and includes over 500,000 coins.
9. The smallest coin ever produced was made in the Republic of Liberia in 2016 and measures just 0.4 mm in diameter.
10. The first credit card was issued by the Diners Club in 1950.
11. The first ATM (automated teller machine) was installed in London in 1967.
12. The United States Mint has produced over 50 billion quarters since 1796.
13. The United States Treasury Department prints all the money for the United States.
14. The United States has never had a woman’s portrait on its paper money.
15. The $100 bill is the largest denomination of currency currently in circulation in the United States.
16. The United States has never had a $3 bill.
17. The first woman to appear on a coin in the United States was Susan B. Anthony in 1979.
18. The United States has had 3 different designs for its paper money since 1862.
19. The largest amount of money ever won in a lottery was $1.586 billion in the Powerball lottery in 2016.
20. The smallest amount of money you can win in the United States Powerball lottery is $4.
21. The United States penny was first minted in 1787.
22. The world’s oldest bank still in operation is Monte dei Paschi di Siena, founded in Italy in 1472.
23. The United States Treasury Department estimates that there is currently around $1.4 trillion worth of currency in circulation.
24. The United States dime is the smallest coin in circulation in the United States.
25. The United States penny currently costs more to produce than it is worth.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

Money Facts for Kids 26-50

Here are another 25 fun facts about Money that kids might enjoy:

26. The United States has a $2 bill, but it is not commonly used and is considered rare by collectors.
27. The largest coin ever minted was a 100-kilogram gold coin made in Australia in 2011.
28. The first paper money was used in China over a thousand years ago.
29. The world’s most expensive coin is the 1933 Double Eagle, which sold for $7.6 million in 2002.
30. The phrase “in the red” comes from bookkeeping, where losses are traditionally written in red ink.
31. The phrase “in the black” comes from bookkeeping, where profits are traditionally written in black ink.
32. The world’s first banknotes were printed in Sweden in 1661.
33. The United States used to have a half-cent coin, but it was discontinued in 1857 due to inflation.
34. The United States Mint produces around 9 billion coins each year.
35. The smallest paper currency denomination in the United States is the $1 bill.
36. The largest paper currency denomination ever issued by the United States was the $100,000 bill, which featured a portrait of Woodrow Wilson and was only used for transactions between Federal Reserve Banks.
37. The United States has over 7,000 banks.
38. The world’s first recorded paper money was used in China in the 7th century.
39. The United States has a law that makes it illegal to deface or mutilate its currency.
40. The world’s largest gold bar weighs 250 kg and is worth over $12 million.
41. The first coins ever minted were made in the kingdom of Lydia, in present-day Turkey, around 600 BCE.
42. The United States has a Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which is responsible for printing all paper money in the country.
43. The United States Treasury Department has the power to issue new currency designs and denominations.
44. The smallest coin ever minted in the United States was the 1856 Flying Eagle cent, which measured only 19 mm in diameter.
45. The largest silver coin ever produced was the 1,000 troy ounce Canadian Maple Leaf, which has a face value of $1 million.
46. The United States dollar is the most widely used currency in the world.
47. The first American banknotes were printed on the back of playing cards.
48. The United States Treasury Department introduced the $2 bill in 1862.
49. The first paper currency in the United States was issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1690.
50. The United States penny was made of copper until 1982, when it was changed to a copper-plated zinc composition to reduce costs.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

What is Money?

In addition to the fun facts about money, Money is a medium of exchange that is widely accepted in transactions for goods, services, and debts.

It can take many forms, such as coins, banknotes, digital currency, and even commodities like gold or silver. Money serves as a unit of account, a store of value, and a standard of deferred payment.

It allows people to easily trade goods and services without the need for bartering or other forms of direct exchange. Money has evolved over time from various forms of currency, such as shells and salt, to the modern banking systems and digital payment platforms we have today.

How Many Kinds of Money Are There?

There are many kinds of money, depending on how you categorize them. In addition to the fun facts about money, here are some common types of money:

1. Physical currency: This includes coins and banknotes, which are tangible and can be held and exchanged physically.
2. Digital currency: This includes cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, which exist entirely in digital form and can be bought, sold, and traded online.
3. Commodity money: This is a type of currency that has intrinsic value, like gold or silver. Historically, people used precious metals as a medium of exchange because they were scarce and valuable.
4. Fiat money: This is money that has value only because a government says it does. Most modern currencies are fiat money, which means they are not backed by a commodity like gold or silver.
5. Virtual currency: This is a type of digital currency that exists only within a specific virtual environment, like the currency used in online games or virtual worlds.
6. Barter: This is a system of exchange where goods and services are traded directly without the use of money. It was commonly used in ancient times, and is still used in some parts of the world today.

These are just a few examples of the different types of money that exist. In reality, the types of money are constantly evolving as technology advances and new forms of payment emerge.

We hope you enjoyed these fun facts about money!

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