Editing Trade (section)

== Perspectives ==

===Protectionism===
{{main|Protectionism}}
Protectionism is the policy of restraining and discouraging trade between states and contrasts with the policy of free trade. This policy often takes the form of [[tariff]]s and restrictive [[Import quota|quotas]]. Protectionist policies were particularly prevalent in the 1930s, between the [[Great Depression]] and the onset of World War II.

===Religion===
Islamic teachings encourage trading (and condemn [[usury]] or [[interest]]).<ref>[[#Nomani1994|Nomani & Rahnema (1994)]], p.&nbsp;?. "I want nine out of ten people from my Ummah (nation) as traders" and "Trader, who did trading in truth, and sold the right quantity and quality of goods, he will stand along with Prophets and Martyrs, on Judgment day".</ref><ref>{{qref|4|29|b=y}}: "O believers! Do not devour one another’s wealth illegally, but rather trade by mutual consent."<br> {{qref|2|275|b=y}}: "But Allah has permitted trading and forbidden interest."</ref>

[[Judeao-Christian]] teachings do not prohibit trade. They do prohibit fraud and dishonest measures. Historically they forbade charging interest on loans.<ref>
{{bibleref|Leviticus|19:13}}.</ref><ref>{{bibleref|Leviticus|19:35}}.</ref>

===Development of money===
{{Main|History of money}}
[[File:Maximinus denarius - transparent background.PNG|thumb|A [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[denarius]]]]

The first instances of money were objects with intrinsic value. This is called [[commodity money]] and includes any commonly available commodity that has intrinsic value; historical examples include pigs, rare seashells, whale's teeth, and (often) cattle. In medieval Iraq, bread was used as an early form of money. In the [[Aztec Empire]], under the rule of [[Moctezuma II|Montezuma]] cocoa beans became legitimate currency.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.foodrevolution.org/slavery_chocolate.htm |title=Is There Slavery In Your Chocolate? |access-date=November 24, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051128090830/http://www.foodrevolution.org/slavery_chocolate.htm |archive-date=November 28, 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Currency]] was introduced as standardised money to facilitate a wider exchange of goods and services. This first stage of currency, where metals were used to represent stored value, and symbols to represent commodities, formed the basis of trade in the Fertile Crescent for over 1500 years.

[[Numismatist]]s have examples of coins from the earliest large-scale societies, although these were initially unmarked lumps of [[precious metal]].<ref name="originsofmoney">Gold was an especially common form of early money, as described in [[#Davies2002|Davies (2002)]].</ref>