Money, in this paper, is defined as a power relationship of a specific kind, a stratified social debt relationship, measured in a unit of account determined by some authority. A brief historical examination reveals its evolving nature in the process of social provisioning. Money not only...

PrefaceAcknowledgments -- Introduction the political economy of currency choice -- A theory of currency policy preferences -- The United States : from greenbacks to gold, 1862-79 -- The United States : silver threats among the gold, 1880-96 -- European monetary integration : from bretton woods...