First published in 1892, Carl Menger's article "Geld" ("Money") has been extremely influential on the thinking of today's neoclassical and New Institutionalist economic theorists, argue Latzer and Schmitz (both of the Research Unit for Institutional Change and European Integration at the Austrian Academy of Sciences). They present the first full English translation of the article (occupying nearly half the volume) alongside commentary by current theorists on the article's continuing relevance to theories about the origins and the future of money. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

On the Origins of Money is a discussion of the history of money and currency, from its crudest form as cowrie shells, animal pelts, and salt in early societies to the coin and paper money we use today. Rather than focusing on the type or shape of the money, author and economist Carl Menger looks at the reasons behind monetary exchange and why money is so valuable (or where it gets its inherent value). His argument centers on the "saleableness" of the goods or commodities being sold-in other words, the more "saleable" (or valuable or in demand) an item is, the more money it is worth. Hence, money gets its value from the objects it pays for. This short work is an insightful look into the history and value of money for any student or professional economist.

"Central bankers worldwide welcome the recent increase of research on payment systems. This volume, providing an expert overview on this timely subject, should be required reading for us all". - Erkki Liikanen, Governor of the Bank of Finland Monetary policy has been at the centre of economic research from the early stages of economic thought, but payment system research has attracted increased academic attention only in the past decade. This book’s succeeds in merging these two so far largely separated fields. Innovative and groundbreaking, Schmitz and Woods initiate research on the interdependence of institutional change in the payments system and monetary policy, examining the different channels via which payment systems affect monetary policy. It explores important themes such as: conceptualization and methods of analysis of institutional change in the payments system determinants of institutional change in the payments system – political-economy versus technology empirics of institutional change in the retail and in the wholesale payments systems – policy initiatives and new technologies in the payments system implications of institutional change in the payments system for monetary policy and the instruments available to central banks to cope with it. The result is an accessible overview of conceptual and methodological approaches to institutional change in payment systems, and a comprehensive and yet thorough assessment of its implications for monetary policy. The insights this timely book provides will be invaluable for researchers and practitioners in the field of monetary economics.

In diesem Buch versuchen Forscher auf dem Gebiet der Philosophie und der Wirtschaftswissenschaften aus Österreich und Frankreich den Erörterungen Carl Mengers (1840-1921), des Begründers der Österreichischen Schule der Nationalökonomie, nachzugehen. Dabei werden für Menger wichtige und weiterhin aktuelle Themen in den Vordergrund gestellt. Alle Beiträge verfolgen ein Ziel: Menger von seinen Wurzeln her zu verstehen und dazu als Quelle seinen Nachlass aus den Archiven in Japan und den USA mit heranzuziehen. Dieses Buch richtet sich an alle, die Menger anhand seiner eigenen Texte lesen wollen. In this volume, the views of the founder of the Austrian School of economics, Carl Menger (1840-1921), are clarified by various specialists (Austrian and French, economists and philosophers) with the common purpose to understand Menger at his roots. All themes (including his views on liberal creeds, on methodology and theory) surge from a common source: the archives that make up Menger's Nachlass (his private library located in Japan and his notebooks in the USA). This volume is intended for all those who want to read Menger in his texts.

Drawing on wide-ranging contributions from prominent international experts and discussing some of the most pressing issues facing policy makers and practitioners in the field of payment systems today, this volume provides cutting-edge perspectives on the current issues surrounding payment systems and their future.It covers a range of continually im

Volume I contains original biographical profiles of many of the most important and influential economists from the seventeenth century to the present day. These inform the reader about their lives, works and impact on the further development of the discipline. The emphasis is on their lasting contributions to our understanding of the complex system known as the economy. The entries also shed light on the means and ways in which the functioning of this system can be improved and its dysfunction reduced.