Kublai Khan Brings Paper Currency

 Liana Aleksanyan

         Paper Currency is an invention in which people in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) would use to trade to get goods. Such as food and equipment just by trading paper. Instead of coins Kublai Khan decided that paper would be better and easier to use. The paper currency was used mostly all around the world, mainly in Europe. But Kublai Khan brought it to Asia in 1260 from one of his friends Marco Polo.

         Marco Polo was a young explorer that lived during the time of the Yuan Dynasty. When Marco came to meet Kublai Khan he brought paper currency with him. That was when he showed Kublai the invention. But the Song Dynasty was the first to really introduce paper currency in 1023. But it didn’t spread around too much to get to other nations. After was the Yuan Dynasty and Kublai Khan really got into the paper currency. He only wanted people to trade with the paper, not with gold, silk, silver, bronze, etc. He would punish who ever used other things besides paper. Especially the foreigners.

         There were good things that came out of the paper currency. Kublai Khan was able to improve roads and expand waterways. Making the citizens happier that their land was structured better. It also allowed making trading easier for the people.