Money, therefore, is a medium of exchange. As such it must have certain properties. It can't be used for anything else, and the total amount should remain quite stable. This is the reason for the selection of precious metals and stones. Consider, for instance, the use of an item of real value, such as water.
Water is almost as easily lost as it is gained.
If money fell from the sky rather than having to be earned by exchange for the fruits of human endeavor, human endeavor would no longer be in demand and it alone is the source of all true wealth. Although the value of water is without question, using it as money is impossible. With that settled, at least we no longer have to worry about a mass exodus from California, Florida, and Arizona. Monetary value is established by scarcity, demand, the amount of human labor required to produce it and the cost of the materials. On the other hand the price of wooden, artistically designed, hand- crafted garbage cans would probably be quite high and the demand for them infinitesimal.