History of the euro succeeding the EMCF, under Maastricht. It was created as the forerunner to the European Central Bank. It met for the first time on 12 January under its first president, Alexandre Lamfalussy. After much disagreement, in December 1995 the name "euro" was adopted for the new currency (replacing the name "Ecu" used for the previous accounting currency), on the suggestion of then-German finance minister Theo Waigel. They also agreed on the date 1 January 1999 for its launch. On 17 June 1997 the European Council decided in Amsterdam to adopt the Stability and Growth Pact, designed to ensure budgetary discipline after
Chinese cash (currency unit) "wén" and written with the same character. In 1695, the Shogunate placed the character "gen" () on the obverse of copper coins. Vietnam gained independence from China in 938 and merely carried on the tradition of using cash. The first Vietnamese cash was issued in 968. Chinese cash (currency unit) The cash () was a currency denomination used in China in imperial times. It was the chief denomination until the introduction of the yuan in the late 19th century. The English term "cash" was first used on coins issued in Kwangtung (Guangdong) Province in 1900. It did not appear on