Reading Comprehension

Read the passage and answer the question.

Paper money first appeared in China more than a thousand years ago, long before it was used in Europe. Merchants found carrying heavy strings of metal coins impractical for large trades, so they began depositing coins with trusted shops and accepting paper receipts in return. These receipts could be exchanged for goods or coins elsewhere, effectively functioning as money. Eventually the government took over issuing such notes. The convenience was clear, but it also introduced a new danger: if too many notes were printed, their value could fall, a problem that earlier coin-based systems rarely faced.