A History of the World in 100 Objects

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Factual: History

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, retells humanity's history through objects

Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor, narrates 100 programmes that retell humanity's history through the objects we have made.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects: The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD): Ming banknote

Ming Banknote

Ming banknote

The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

A History of the World in 100 Objects Omnibus

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Neil MacGregor with a 14th century bank note - from Ming Dynasty China.

Neil MacGregor's world history as told through objects. Today - one of the world's earliest paper bank notes made in 14th Century Ming China.

This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is exploring the great empires of around 1500 - the threshold of the modern era. Today he is in Ming Dynasty China and with a surviving example of some of the world's first paper bank notes - what the Chinese called "flying cash". Neil explains how paper money comes about and considers the forces that underpinned its successes and failures. While the rest of the world was happily trading in coins that had an actual value in silver or gold, why did the Chinese risk the use of paper? This particular surviving note is made on mulberry bark, is much bigger than the notes of today and is dated 1375. The Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, and the historian Timothy Brook look back over the history of paper money and what it takes to make it work.

Producer: Anthony Denselow


A History of the World in 100 Objects: The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Neil MacGregor explores the great empires of the world in the threshold of the modern era.

This week Neil MacGregor is exploring the great empires of the world around 1500 - from the Inca in South America to the Ming in China and the Timurids in the Middle East.

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A History of the World in 100 Objects

The Threshold of the Modern World (1375-1550 AD)

Ming banknote

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