Commodity market in Sumer between 4500 BC and 4000 BC. Sumerians first used clay tokens sealed in a clay vessel, then clay writing tablets to represent the amount—for example, the number of goats, to be delivered. These promises of time and date of delivery resemble futures contract. Early civilizations variously used pigs, rare seashells, or other items as commodity money. Since that time traders have sought ways to simplify and standardize trade contracts. Gold and silver markets evolved in classical civilizations. At first the precious metals were valued for their beauty and intrinsic worth and were associated with royalty. In time, they
United States Commodity Funds commodity ETP in the United States that invested in Brent crude oil (ticker:BNO), although previously a Brent crude oil based commodity ETP had been launched in London. In 2010, USCF launched its first non-energy specific commodity ETP, United States Commodity Index Fund (ticker:USCI), which holds a diversified basket of commodity futures based on the SummerHaven Dynamic Commodity Index ("SDCI"). The SDCI is the first broadly diversified commodity index whose commodity weightings are not fixed, but which instead are adjusted to reflect market conditions. USCF's commodity exchange traded products are all listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Prior to the