Commodity money Commodity money Commodity money is money whose value comes from a commodity of which it is made. Commodity money consists of objects that have value in themselves (intrinsic value) as well as value in their use as money. Examples of commodities that have been used as mediums of exchange include gold, silver, copper, salt, peppercorns, tea, large stones (such as Rai stones), decorated belts, shells, alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis, silk, candy, nails, cocoa beans, cowries and barley. These items were sometimes used in a metric of perceived value in conjunction to one another, in various commodity valuation or price system economies.
Commodity value its commodity value. A commodity value expressed as a price is determined by historical, social and cultural aspects of production and distribution. Karl Marx described price as the money-name for the labour realised in a commodity. A commodity value is dependent on its utility. Commodity value is of particular significance in the study of currency. For example, the commodity value of a coin is the value of the metal of which it is made. Gold and silver coins have a high commodity value, whereas fiat coins such as modern day quarters have a low commodity value. This is of particular