Originally Posted by woj

"Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context.[1][2][3] The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past, a standard of deferred payment.[4][5] Any kind of object or secure verifiable record that fulfills these functions can serve as money."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money




It clearly is NOT "a medium of exchange", at least not in the US, maybe in some other country you can exchange a gold coin for a loaf of bread, but I doubt it...