We all like money: after all, it's what allows us to acquire the things we want (without stealing that is). We'd all like to have more of it too, especially since any brand of money you can get these days seems to lose its apparent value over time.

This page contains several links related to the money problem: where it comes from, why it loses its value, and some options and alternatives for the future. Money doesn't have to lose its apparent value; it doesn't have to be inherently worthless. In fact, if money has intrinsic value, it can't lose that.

Lots of people have clever ideas on how to fix our money problems. Most would go back to a metal money standard; some just want local control of paper money. All are interested in making life easier to live and retaining the value of their assets and labor. Give them a look-see and decide for yourself.

The Bank for International Settlements is a very interesting and scary organization. it is sort of a Super-Fed. You have to be a member to use it, and only central banks can be members. It uses the Gold Franc as its own unique currency, a practice imitated only by The International Monetary Fund with their Special Drawing Rights.

The Euro, that latest instrument of global tyranny, gets a page of its own.

The European Currency Unit (ECU) is NOT the same thing as the Euro and the differences are important.

The International Monetary Fund is a wierd duck. It's where a bunch of countries (sorta) pool their resources (it seems) so they can borrow against each other (I think) and stave off economic disaster (maybe). Recently the system has been sorely tested, and with all the "bailouts" since the summer of 1997, the Fund is just about broke. Of course, the members can always print more money ...

What's really interesting about the IMF is that it uses its own currency, the Special Drawing Unit - gee, kinda sounds like a team of commando cartoonists, doesn't it?

I had an idea on the use of Gold As A Unit Of Account.

And what the hell is a GOLD FRANC?? According to the BIS (see above) the Gold Franc is equivalent to 0.29 grams of gold. Since one troy ounce of gold is 31.1 grams, that makes the Gold Franc equal to slightly less than 1/100 oz. Their website says that, at a price of US$208/oz., the Gold Franc would be worth US$1.94: at today's prices that would be about $3.00.

I would be interested in seeing more people using Gold Francs as a unit of account, or even issuing some actual coins in that amount. At about a hundredth of an ounce, it would be ideal.

Even if converting to the Gold Franc is impossible, we may still be able to go back to metal.

Let's not do it the British way though: they had a funny money system.

Another invention of mine is Paper Money With Intrinsic Value.

Special Drawing Rights are the internal currency of the International Monetary Fund. What are they, how much are they worth, and why can't we have some? Like the Gold Franc they are artificial units used for the convenience of tyrannical central bankers. Also like the GF, I would like to see some real-world cash in these units, though considering the nature of the SDR they should certainly be paper.

If you think that's funny, what about the unique financial problems of time travellers? You might think all they have to do is carry the local cash, but it's worse than that. This article proves that Money for Time Travel must, in fact, be timeless.