From the Days of Abraham to Federal Reserve System.

The article reports on the history of trade and banking from the Biblical period to the U.S. Federal Reserve System. It talks about a banking system in Babylon in the 6th century B.C., tribes of men subsisting on agriculture or living by barter in early times, and money changer sitting upon bench in Greek temples. It traces the history of banking in Europe which started in Italy in 1157, and the establishment of the Bank of Pennsylvania in 1780 to raise funds for the American Army. INSET: Thumbnail Outline of Reserve System.