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When currency first came into being, the idea that people would one day be able to pay for things without anything actually exchanging hands would have been laughed at.

Most people today would agree that the strongest and best known currency in the whole world is the American dollar.

Could it really happen? Could a single global currency really ever come into being? The concept is certainly a bold one, but there are many things to consider before the idea could ever become a reality.

Most of us have gone online at some point or another to check on an exchange rate prior to going on holiday to a different country.

If you talk to someone who is old enough to remember what the world of money was like before decimalisation, it’s very likely that they will roll their eyes at the memory of having to get used to a whole new way of thinking about money.

When we receive a banknote in our change today we hardly give it a second thought.

In the huge landscape of Europe, there are just a handful of countries that are standing firm in their resolve not to join the mighty Euro, which has single handedly swept away many of Europe’s longest standing currencies, making them nothing but a distant memory now.

If you go onto any website that allows you to check out the exchange rates between countries, you will see that the Japanese yen is one of the world’s major currencies, standing alongside such giants as the United States dollar, the British pound and the relatively new Euro.

If you have ever listened to the news you will know that inflation is generally viewed as a horrible word. But what does it mean and how does it affect you?

It is unquestionably human nature that causes us to study everything around us, and that is certainly true in the case of currency.