Fiat money

Fiat money is a currency established as money by government regulation or law. The term derives from the Latin fiat ("let it become", "it will become") used in the sense of an order or decree. It differs from commodity money and representative money. Commodity money is created from a good, often a precious metal such as gold or silver, which has uses other than as a medium of exchange (such a good is called a commodity), while representative money simply represents a claim on such a good. The first use of fiat money was recorded in China around 1000 AD.