Ok then, if we have 1USD = 1USD, then where does its value come from? the paper it self isn't worth it, normal people would say its because USD is universal and could be accepted anywhere by anyone at anytime, but tracing the roots (in a simple form since I don't remember details at the moment), 1USD gets its value because its a number that represents a fraction of gold the government has stored, instead of everyone carrying gold and trading it around, everyone puts the gold with a trusted 3rd party (government) that issues bank notes that are easier to use around.