Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Legendary Coins and Currency
Archived images of coins from a beautiful online exhibition on the history of money.
PBS
Nova Online: History of Money
A timeline of money from 9000 B.C. to the present day that explains the types of money being used at various times in history.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Agent Pincher: P Is for Penny or Where Did Money Come From?
What if we woke up tomorrow and found that there were no more pennies? Or what if we found that money had disappeared altogether -- not only from our pockets but from banks, stores and all the other places where we would expect to find...
Other
Roy Davies: Money
Explore the past, present, and future of money. Learn about exchange rates, money forms, banking, and more.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Revolutionary Money
A two-lesson unit using the Smithsonian collection of currency to teach students about the first American money. Other resources are given and all materials are downloadable.
Other
Scripophily: A Comparative Chronology of Money
Site provides various segments of historical dates from early Babylonian times to present. Time periods provide information about culture and the form of monetary exchange or bartering that took place.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Lewis and Clark Barter With Native Americans
In this lesson you will define the term barter and give examples of bartering in several different areas. Find out how this system took shape and was useful to Lewis and Clark. This site is extremely informative and contains extension...
Online Learning Haven
Fun Social Studies: How Money Began
A brief history of the barter system and how coins and currency came into use. Includes links to related topics on the use of money.
Social Studies Help Center
Social Studies Help Center: What Is Money?
Introduction explains what money is. This is followed by a brief history of commodity money and fiat money. Finally, this site explains the essential functions and characteristics of money.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Pennies Make Cents
Young scholars will review the history of trade before money and will investigate the history of money. Students will locate information about the first coin authorized by the United States and will learn about the penny.
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: I Have No Money, Would You Take Wampum?
Through the use of folk tales, history, and the students' own experiences, students will recognize the inter-relatedness of goods, services, money. They will locate information about barter as a means of trade, use folk tales as an...
Council for Economic Education
Econ Ed Link: Hawaiian Economics: Barter for Fish & Poi
In ancient Hawaii, chiefs managed the economy by creating a land division system, the Ahupua'a, which divided the islands into pie slice shapes. Each Ahupua'a covered the three main regions of the islands: the mountains, the valleys, and...
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute: Bartering for Goods
The Franklin Institute Online explains what bartering is and how it developed down through history. A lesson plan and quiz are also provided.