Preamble: I’m currently on hiatus for work. I won’t have time to post – so I’m sharing a few things to keep you entertained until I get back. I wanted to share this infographic about currencies – because it highlights something that we often forget: that money is a social construct. And it can be almost anything. Even paper.

Rolling Alpha posts opinions on finance, economics, and sometimes things that are only loosely related. Follow me on Twitter @RollingAlpha, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rollingalpha. Also, check out the RA podcast on iTunes: The Story of Money.