Paper money has often been controversial and misunderstood. Why it has value, why that value changes over time, how it influences economic activity, who should be allowed to make it, how its use and creation should be controlled, and whether it should exist at all—are questions that have perplexed the public, vexed politicians, and puzzled economic experts. Knowing how, when, and why paper money first became commonplace in America and the nature of the institutions propagating it, can help us better comprehend paper money’s role in society. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) dealt often with this topic and his writings can teach us much about it.
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Delaware, Department of Economics in its series Working Papers with number
07-01.
Length: 10 pages Date of creation: Jan 2007 Date of revision: Publication status: Published in Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of a Paper Money Economy. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, 2007. Handle: RePEc:dlw:wpaper:07-01.