Top 10 Intriguing Facts About Money You Might Want to Know

2. Money Is Actually Quite Dirty

A small experiment at the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology revealed that every banknote carries over 200 million bacteria, along with a considerable amount of gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, metal coins have significantly fewer bacteria. Dr. Nguyen Binh Minh and colleagues discovered various types of bacteria, including those causing diseases like plague and typhoid, through microscopic examination after soaking worn-out banknotes and coins in a bacterial culture environment.

After World War I, hyperinflation wreaked havoc on Germany's currency, rendering it nearly worthless. During this period, an average German would have billions of marks in their pocket but couldn't buy much. At the start of the war in 1914, one USD exchanged for 4.20 marks. Subsequently, the German currency continuously devalued, plummeting like it was falling into an endless pit by autumn 1922. In November 1923, one USD could fetch 4.2 trillion marks.

In the 1920s, Germans resorted to using wood and coal as substitutes for the severely depreciated mark. At that time, burning money was even cheaper than using wood and coal. As a result, people handed out money for children to play with, and many used it as wallpaper.

If you're accustomed to currencies like the US dollar, euro, or British pound, you might be surprised to learn about a unit called 'hour'. In Ithaca, New York, a type of currency named Ithaca Hour once existed.

Considered the largest and oldest local currency system in the US, it is no longer in circulation. Introduced in 1991 during the Great Recession in the US, the Ithaca Hour aimed to revive the local economy. The currency was printed on high-quality paper, featuring intricate patterns, making it challenging to counterfeit.

According to statistics, the average person may not earn more than 1,000,000 USD in their lifetime, roughly around 22 billion VND. In some impoverished African countries, people earn only about 1 dollar per day. Meanwhile, Bill Gates effortlessly makes 250 dollars every second.

Oxfam organization highlights the paradox that during the pandemic, the income of 99% of the world's population decreased, while the wealth of the top 10 richest people doubled. On average, their wealth increases by 1.3 billion USD per day, coming from sources such as stock price hikes and real estate.

The image of Queen Elizabeth II not only appears on the currency system of the UK during her reign but also on the banknotes of countries within the Commonwealth and Royal Colonies.

As early as 8 years old, when still a princess, Queen Elizabeth II's portrait was featured on Canadian currency. Over time, 26 different portraits of the Queen have been used on British Pound coins as well as the currency of its colonies, territories, and regions. In total, 33 countries have utilized Queen Elizabeth's portrait on various banknotes.

Paper money or banknotes first originated in China during the period from 600 to 1455, mainly circulating during the Song Dynasty.

Initially called flying money because it was so light that the wind could blow it away. Paper money served as a means of exchange and was backed by a deposit system introduced in the early 10th century in the southern province of Sichuan. The first piece, more accurately a 'promissory note,' was issued by imperial officials in the capital and could be exchanged locally for goods such as salt, tea,...

Debates persist about the inventor of the ATM. Luther George Simjian, an inventor of Turkish descent, is credited with conceiving the 'machine with a hole in the wall' allowing customers to perform various financial transactions. However, after 6 months of installation, this machine was dismantled as no one used it.

On September 2, 1969, Chemical Bank installed the first ATM in the United States at its branch in Rockville Center, New York. This ATM was designed to dispense a fixed amount of cash when users inserted a specially encoded card. Since then, it has been widely used across the United States and later expanded globally.