The Gold Problem

Study of the impact of Britain's economic and financial crises on currency and monetary policy-making in India between the wars, analysing colonial policies during Anglo-US efforts to reconstruct the international financial system and Britain's struggle to restore the pre-eminence of sterling and the City.

"Appendix. A partial list of works treating of the questions discussed in this essay": pages 188-193.

The U.S. monetary system is based on paper money backed by the full faith and credit of the fed. gov't. The currency is neither valued in, backed by, nor officially convertible into gold or silver. Through much of its history, however, the U.S. was on a metallic standard of one sort or another. On occasion, there are calls to return to such a system. Such calls are usually accompanied by claims that gold or silver backing has provided considerable economic benefits in the past. This report reviews the history of the GS in the U.S. It clarifies the dates during which the GS was used, the type of GS in operation at the various times, and the statutory changes used to alter the GS and eventually end it. It is not a discussion of the merits of the GS. A print on demand oub.