The Original Currencies

The original currencies were issued by private banks, in fact if you go back to the beginning, the first currency was issued by a goldsmith. Somebody took their gold to a goldsmith and he gave him a warehouse receipt for that gold. Now, the person who owned a warehouse receipt from a reputable goldsmith instead of going back and taking his gold, he might be able to take that receipt and exchange it with with somebody else who had goods and services that he desired. The other person might accept it because they recognize the receipt, they know its a reputable mint, they know there`s gold there and so that warehouse receipt can circulate as currency. That`s what banks did. Before the Federal Reserve in 1930, private banks all around the United States issued their own note currency. The currency was backed by gold that the banks had in their vaults.

Peter Schiff is an American businessman, investment broker and financial commentator. Schiff is the CEO and chief global strategist of Euro Pacific Capital Inc.