Silver has such an interesting history as a unit of exchange. I remember reading that China started demanding payment in silver around the 1500 for goods leadin

Silver has such an interesting history as a unit of exchange. I remember reading that China started demanding payment in silver around the 1500 for goods leading to the boom in Spanish silver mining in the Americas to pay for imports. The lack of silver also lead the British to start the opium trades to get around the Chinese state.