Paper money issued by a bank or government that represents a specific amount of currency and can be used to buy things.
Compound word from 'bank' (originally a merchant's desk or table for money-changing) and 'note' (a written record). Banknotes emerged in 17th-century Europe as written promises to pay precious metals, evolving into printed currency.
Banknotes are fascinating because they're only valuable because we collectively agree they are—they're literally fancy paper, yet they've fueled civilizations. A single banknote can have more security features than most medieval manuscripts had pages.
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