The origins of value, told through the objects that created it.

The Origins of Value collection comprises 545 historical financial documents — bonds, stock certificates, banknotes, prospectuses and more — spanning the 17th through 20th centuries and drawn from 65 countries. Assembled at Yale’s International Center for Finance, it is one of the most significant collections of early financial instruments in the world.

Representing 77 languages and 131 currencies, each document tells a story of commerce, innovation and risk. Together, they form a remarkable record of how societies have organized capital, financed exploration and weathered financial crises — from the South Sea Bubble to the modern era.