Herein, what is the United States paper money backed by?
The Congress has specified that Federal Reserve Banks must hold collateral equal in value to the Federal Reserve notes that the Federal Reserve Bank puts in to circulation. This collateral is chiefly held in the form of U.S. Treasury, federal agency, and government-sponsored enterprise securities.
Subsequently, question is, what is money by government decree? fiat money. currency by government decree. medium of exchange. something accepted as payment for goods and services.
Similarly, what is paper money based on?
Gold and Silver Standards
Until a few decades ago, the value of paper money in many countries, including the United States, was based on a gold or silver standard, or some combination of the two. The piece of paper money was simply a convenient way of "holding" that particular bit of gold or silver.
Is a term that refers to paper money?
Currency. is a term that refers to paper money.