Tobacco Leaves
In colonial America, before the U.S. dollar even existed, dried tobacco leaves were used as legal tender. Especially in Virginia, “tobacco notes” were issued by warehouses certifying the value of a certain amount of tobacco stored on behalf of the holder.
Farmers paid taxes, debts, and even church tithes with tobacco. Its use was so widespread that damaged or moldy leaves could cause inflation issues! If you were ever short on rent in 17th-century Jamestown, you’d better hope your crop came in on time.
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