On Money (Excerpted from The Wealth of Nations)

Adam Smith's story of the original of money has survived the test of time and been the archetype for countless other tellings of the origin of money. Money originates out of market exchange. As a keen observer of economic events, he saw that people have needs that compel them to cooperate together toward their mutual betterment. This process begins in production and results in products that have use values that others desire.