Revisiting the Origins of Money

Jonathan Newman joins Bob to discuss the debate between Austrians and MMTers on the origins of money. In the Anti-MMT panel at the Austrian Economics Research Conference (AERC), Jonathan presented his research on the archeological evidence that silver was used as money in ancient Mesopotamia and how the evidence vindicates Menger's theory on the origins of money. Jonathan and Bob walk through various MMT responses and make the case that the Austrian school is especially suited to critique Modern Monetary Theory.

• The Anti-MMT Panel from the 2025 AERC: Mises.org/HAP494a
• Elon Musk and Ted Cruz Discussing "Magic Money Computers": Mises.org/HAP494b
• Jonathan's Overwhelming Evidence that Silver was Money in Ancient Mesopotamia: Mises.org/HAP494c
• The X Thread by Patricia Pino on the Measure of Value of Money: Mises.org/HAP494d
• Bob's "Origin of the Specie" in The American Conservative: Mises.org/HAP494e
• R.A Radford's "The Economic Organization of a P.O.W. Camp": Mises.org/HAP494f

The Mises Institute is giving away 100,000 copies of Murray Rothbard’s, What Has Government Done to Our Money? Get your free copy at Mises.org/HAPodFree

Join the Mises Institute on April 26 in Phoenix, Arizona, as we expose the danger and waste of bureaucracy: Mises.org/Phoenix25