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Question 18 of 31

Q.Explain limitations of barter system.

Gujarat GsebGujarat Board (GSEB) HSC Commerce Board 2020Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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Barter failed because of no double coincidence of wants, no common measure of value, no easy store of value, indivisibility of goods and difficulty of deferred payments — money solves all these.

The barter system (direct exchange of goods for goods) suffered from the following limitations, which made trade difficult:

  • Lack of double coincidence of wants: Exchange could take place only when both parties wanted each other's goods at the same time — a rare match, making trade cumbersome.
  • Absence of a common measure of value: There was no single unit to express the value of all goods, so it was hard to decide how much of one good equalled another.
  • Difficulty in storing value (wealth): Many goods (like grain, milk, vegetables) are perishable and cannot be stored to preserve wealth for the future.
  • Indivisibility of goods: Some goods (like a cow or a house) cannot be divided into small parts for exchange of small-value items.
  • Difficulty of deferred/future payments: Making loans and future payments was very hard, since goods change in quality and value over time. …

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