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BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

BBC Radio 3

Radio 3

The Essay Podcast

The Essay

Discussion & Talk

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

The Essay: It Talks

The Essay: It Talks: Episode 5: Paper Money

Paper Money

Episode 5

Episode 5: Paper Money

It Talks

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, It Talks, Paper MoneyClose menu

Dr Helen Wang discusses the development of paper money.

Helen Wang discusses the development of paper money and explores how civilisation finally accepted something with no intrinsic worth having great value.

"Money. You don't know where it's been,
But you put it where your mouth is.
And it talks." (Money, by Dana Gioia) 

The history of money stretches back some 11,000 years. There have been certain key moments in its development and each essay tells their story and the resonance that these revolutionary blips have had ever since. 

5. Paper Money - Dr. Helen Wang, Curator of East Asian Money at the British Museum the development of paper money - partly brought about by a shortage of copper - and explores how civilisation finally came round to the acceptance of something of no intrinsic value having great value.

Producer: Paul Kobrak.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

Series exploring key developments in the history of money

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Episode 5: Paper Money

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