Inflation, depression, innovation, human flourishing – the US monetary system has played an integral role in each of these issues for centuries. But where did modern money come from? How does this inform the future?
Throughout the 1980s, Japan’s economy soared past the rest of the world. The growth that once earned the envy of investors and economists now stands as a dire warning against debt, speculation, and easy money.
When Matthew wrote his gospel in 85 AD, one pure silver Denarius covered the daily wages of a skilled Roman craftsman. Three hundred years later, the coin had been reduced to a worthless scrap of copper alongside a crumbled empire.
If you happened to be walking around Paris from 1715 to 1722, you would have encountered one of the first experiments with centrally planned banking, paper money, and fractional reserves.