The Story of Money: Counterfeiting in 19th-century America and parallels to cryptocurrency
Soft in all the wrong places. Take with a strong tea.
Summary
This podcast episode from The Story of Money explores 19th-century frontier America where almost anyone could print their own money. It focuses on James Brown, a notorious counterfeiter described as "the hardest working man in counterfeiting," and draws parallels between Wild West banking and modern cryptocurrencies. Historian Stephen Mihm joins hosts Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth to discuss the role of trust in all financial systems, past and present.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledthe hardest working man in counterfeiting
In 19th-century America almost anyone could print their own money – and many did
the role trust plays in all financial systems
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