Money is from Moneta and moneta is, according to one etymological web-definition:

mid-13c., “coinage, metal currency,” from Old French monoie “money, coin, currency; change” (Modern Frenchmonnaie), from Latin moneta “place for coining money, mint; coined money, money, coinage,” from Moneta, a title or surname of the Roman goddess Juno, in or near whose temple money was coined; perhaps from monere “advise, warn” (see monitor (n.)), with the sense of “admonishing goddess,” which is sensible, but the etymology is difficult.

in other words money is the mint, is the gold and silver, is the authority over it……for would the Latins have accepted anything less?

Interestingly the etymological web-definition continues:

Extended early 19c. to include paper money.It had been justly stated by a British writer that the power to make a small piece of paper, not worth one cent, by the inscribing of a few names, to be worth a thousand dollars, was a power too high to be entrusted to the hands of mortal man. [John C. Calhoun, speech, U.S. Senate, Dec. 29, 1841]

As for the fiqh:

from the mighty Ibn Mandhur, from his Lisaan al-Arab, his dictionary which draws its linguistic authority primarily from the Quran, the Rasoul, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the greats among the poets and udabaa’ from the pre-capitalist age:

Entry Meem: MAAL: [money, wealth, …]

“The root meaning of the word MAAL is that which is possessed by someone with respect to gold or silver – and then extended to mean anything of value owned of a tangible reality”.

In other words, it indicates in the first instance possession but also implied gold and silver primarily as this was the possession par excellence.

Lisaan al-Arab, vol 13, from Dar al-Ihraath al-Arab edition, Beirut 1418 AH, p.222.