Debased Currency Official Counterfeits

Interesting article. I remember studying the currency problems that the late Roman Empire had and read about the silver plating. I wasn't aware of how they did it though. I do know they really screwed themselves with the price fixing with the staples. The death penalty was instituted for charging more for bread. Which of course lead to a bread shortage in areas where there was enough of a government to enforce the law, and a huge black market where there wasn't enough imperial force.

Interesting article, indeed. History clearly shows that cheapening the money supply of any country is a downward spiral that becomes unstoppable in time. Today, we do not add copper, zinc, or nickel to our currency but we manage to devalue it all the same via printing more of it than the growth in the economy can justify. Like anything else, as we have more and more of it, it becomes ever lower in value. Prices rise and faith in the currency as a store of value disintegrates. Hmmm... yes, that IS sounding quite familiar!

What's so interesting is that nearly EVERY country did it , although interestingly enough Canada released a $20 silver coin that cost only $20, however with a low mintage collectors bought them by the truckload and the values increased.

I have a Mexico City 4 reale Cob coin that was found by my Uncle metal detecting around an old foundation of a house in Massachusetts. He was told that Spanish Cob coins were often used in trade during the early Colonial period. He had a gold wire bezel made for it and he wore it around his neck for many years. Now I wear it sometimes and it makes me think of him. He left me a lot of cool stuff when he passed away, but the Cob is my favorite thing.