At home and abroad, money is a major issue

They say that money makes the world go round, and it is certainly something that affects all of us. The world’s money markets are permanently in the news, with major fluctuations often hitting the headlines. The currency that’s traded most often in the world is the US dollar, followed by the euro, then the Japanese yen and the British pound.

The pound is actually the oldest world currency that’s still in circulation. Dating back several centuries, it’s changed little, apart from when it was decimalised in 1971. Many observers feel that at some point the United Kingdom will drop the pound and adopt the euro, but this may be some way off yet.

Europe heads for a single currency

The euro was introduced in 1999, and has been adopted by several countries in the intervening years. They include France, Greece, Portugal, Germany and Spain. It became the official currency of Slovakia in 2008, and it’s planned that Estonia will also adopt the euro in 2011, bringing the number of countries to do so up to 16.

Banknotes are home to some famous faces

On British banknotes, a number of famous faces have appeared over the years. In late 2010, steam engineers Matthew Boulton and James Watt are set to be immortalised on the £50 note. There are a number of well-known historical figures who have taken up residence in our purses and wallets, including Florence Nightingale, Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Fry.

In the United States, several Presidents are represented on banknotes, including George Washington ($1), Abraham Lincoln ($5) and Andrew Jackson ($20).