Resilience and cash
Cash is a payment tool used to exchange for goods and services. It is also a store of value that can be kept and used at another date. But cash is more than that. It is also a symbol of freedom – freedom from the banking system, from scrutiny; freedom to do whatever one chooses with the money at hand. It’s a tool that connects people, a tool that doesn’t discriminate anyone, rich or poor, young or old, literate or illiterate, male or female. It can also be useful for teaching children both math and the value of money.
Its strength lies in its capacity to provide assistance regardless of the conditions: it can be used in downtown New York to grab a hot dog on the go or to buy medicine in a refugee camp on the other side of the globe. It needs no technological or electrical infrastructure to be functional and it comes with no hidden costs for the user.
Although its basic format has not greatly evolved in 1000 years since the world’s first banknote – the jiaozi - in China’s Song Dynasty, the technology that secures it has allowed it to remain relevant and competitive in a fast-changing world. Banknotes are miniature business cards featuring high tech innovation and prowess: they can be used and authenticated by both man and machine, facilitating usage and processing.
Beyond its specs, banknotes are also works of art, created by talented designers that juggle between esthetics, national pride and strict security guidelines. And although they come in a variety of colors, sizes and images, everybody knows how to use them regardless of where in the world they are or travelling to.
To learn more about cash and its role in society and the economy you can visit the following websites: