This site, if you take a few to read each page, gives a pretty good history in non financial shop talk terms
http://www.worldslaves.citymax.com/page/page/195600.htm
Silly looking graphics, but theinfo is good.
A CONFIDENCE GAME! Bookkeeping entries - numbers, valueless paper currency, and copper/nickel slugs (remember - they stole our gold and silver coin!) and we surrender our labor and goods/services for THAT?
So where is our gold and silver?