The US dollar is a Fiat currency. It's only money, because the government recognizes it as money (and therefore can tax it's working citizens accordingly.) Nixon took the dollar off of the gold standard. (The last remaining percentage of the standard.) The last US coins made of 90% silver, intended for circulation, were minted in 1964. (The United States still issues coins, bullion and commemorative coins in prescious metals. Mostly for hoarders and coin collecting. Foreign citizens and governments can purchase them, also.) The US dollar is based on nothing. There's no back up, no commodity, no precious metals to back it. You used to be able to walk into a bank and exchange you dollars for silver and gold. Those days are gone- and likely, they will never return. (They could, but it's highly unlikely.) The above is a bare minimum. It's an extremely complicated subject. Domestic US and world economics are extremely complicated subjects. Most Americans (due to the jewish browning of our country) don't have any understanding, beyond cashing their paychecks/child support checks/using their EBT cards, etc., of how our economy works.