By Eric Tymoigne
The following answers a few question in order to illustrate Post 15 and to develop certain points.
Q1: Can a commodity be a monetary instrument? Or, does money grow on trees?
Let us tackle the idea that “gold is money”. Clearly, a gold ingot is not a monetary instrument. There is no issuer, no denomination, no term to maturity or any other financial characteristics. A gold ingot is just a commodity, a real asset not a financial asset. Gold coins have been monetary instruments and are still issued at times (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Gold (ingots) vs. Gold Coin (2009 $50 American Buffalo Gold Coin)
