Fiat Money. Over Thousand Years of the Biggest Invention in the History of Economics

The article discusses the history of fiat money, namely money having no exchange parity and not based on any commodity. Contrary to popular belief, it is very long, dating back to a thousand years ago. China has the longest, both good and bad, historical experience with this form of money. In Europe, it was in operation in relatively short periods; in China, nonetheless, it was used for almost 500 years, accompanying the country's heyday. The author attempts to explain why fiat money in China continued for so long, while no European state was able to maintain this form of money for more extended periods. He also presents the reasons behind the common abandonment of metal-based money in the 20th century, even though it fulfilled its functions well for thousands of years. The final part offers arguments indicating not only the inevitability of maintaining fiat money but also a highly systemic nature of money in general. The author believes that money cannot be issued on the basis of considerations outside a particular economic system. Currency board or sliding peg solutions may help overcome hyperinflation and restore confidence in domestic currency. In the long run, however, they are very unlikely to maintain stable economic development.