The image is a photograph of a piece of paper with the title "Song Dynasty" written in black text on a beige background. The text is written in Chinese characters and is attributed to the Northern Song Dynasty, which occupies an important position in Chinese history due to its flourishing urban economy and many outstanding achievements in science and culture. During this time, a boom in trade fostered unprecedented growth in the commodity economy. As peasants were required to pay taxes in cash and some military expenditures as well as government salaries were paid in cash, too, there was a sharp increase in the demand for and issuance of currency. While bronze and iron coins maintained dominance, paper notes were manufactured and circulated as well.