In the 1970s the US dispelled any pretense that the US money was backed by precious metals when it changed circulating coins from silver to a copper-nickel alloy.  Therefore, while all money was based on the value of precious metals (or shells) in the past, it is now based on the faith in the United States of America.  What is the US government doing to maintain that trust and continue to have a working economy without the security of precious metals to back the paper and coin it produces?

– How economics work and how money operates.  It begins with the invention of currency and ends with how American money is made and kept secure in a high-tech world.

The following ten-minute video gives a brief history of money, but explains many important  concepts necessary to write the essay which is at the end of this assignment.  Finance: The History of Money is produced by Open University.  Cite this video as (Open).   

While many Americans take the existence of money for granted, in order to keep American money secure, there is a small cadre of people who make sure that money, in all its forms, is as secure as possible in its time.  The following presentation is forty-two minutes long, but it may be some of the most informative forty-two minutes you will see.  And if you are interested in money (who isn’t?), this is fascinating.  The following video is called, “How it’s made: American Dollar” and it was produced for Travel Channel.  Cite this as (Travel).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na4FTTK9GPk

It never hurts to have a little knowledge of economic theory.  Some of the concepts presented in the essay below are standard, others may be new to you.  Read the following short article by Andy Rao of Kansas State University.  Understand that the microeconomics explained in this article dovetail with the concepts of macroeconomics expressed in the (Travel) video.  Cite this as (Rao).  https://www.kstatecollegian.com/2012/09/19/five-economic-concepts-that-everybody-should-know/

 The following video follows the process of making twenty-five cent pieces in the US.  Of course, the process is generally the same for other US coins.  The following video “US Quarter Minting Process is produced by Coin Community. Cite this as (Coin).  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRpRz2P4l2g

  Security is a major issue with coins as well as dollars.  Find out why the edges of US coins are reeded.  The following article by Mental Floss called “Why Do Coins have Ridges” by Matt Soniak explains that.  Cite this as (Soniak).  https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/28044/how-many-ridges-are-quarter-and-why-are-they-there-first-place