In ancient times, the first system of trade was called bartering.  It is a system where participant would exchange goods or services, without a medium of exchange, like money is used today. People would usually exchange goods such as grains, livestock or tools. However, the inconvenience of bartering – imagine trying to trade a goat for bread – led to the invention of money. Coins, made from silver or gold, became the universal medium of exchange, with the <a href= https://lammuseum.wfu.edu/2021/03/ancient-coins-make-your-own-money/> first coins dating back to around 600 BCE,</a> in the ancient kingdom of Lydia (modern-day Turkey).