@janallmac It does seem silly at times, but it's better than being eaten by tigers or bears while you're lugging your sack of gold or fur pelts to the general store to buy flour and sugar, and maybe a bolt of cloth to make cloths for the family.
I've also thought about money 💰 and pretend money, like checks and credit cards. And now there's the electronic transfers where there's no physical objects being transferred back and forth that represent money.
Bartering can be awkward.