Money has been transacted with for far longer than Gov't issued money. In almost all cases, it was initially used as a store of value. Exchanged in ceremonial events like weddings, births, battle victories, or deaths. The money would change to something else when technology came along and disrupted it. E.g., Glass beads in Africa were massively debased when Europeans brought them in by the crate and loaded up their cargo boats with ivory, gold, and slaves which they were able to trade for the beads. It took decades before the locals understood what had happened. In this pessimistic regard, not much has changed.