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fiat money, in a broad sense, all kinds of money that are made legal tender by a government decree or fiat. The term is, however, usually reserved for legal-tender paper money or coins that have face values far exceeding their commodity values and are not redeemable in gold or silver.
Throughout history, paper money and banknotes had traditionally acted as promises to pay the bearer a specified amount of a precious metal, typically silver or gold. The continental currency issued during the American Revolution, the assignats issued during the French Revolution, the âgreenbacksâ of the American Civil War period, and the paper marks issued in Germany in the early 1920s are historical examples of fiat money. These episodes marked deviations from the gold standard or bimetallic systems that prevailed from the early 19th through the mid-20th century. Under the post-World War IIBretton Woods system, the U.S. dollar served as an international reserve currency, backed by gold at a fixed value of $35 an ounce.
Inflation drives up the cost of everyday goods, affecting what you pay for items both large and small.
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Exchange rates displayed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok, Thai.
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By the late 20th century, it had become impossible for the United States to maintain gold at a fixed rate, and in August 1971, U.S. Pres. Richard M. Nixon announced that he would âsuspend temporarily the convertibility of the dollar into gold or other reserve assets.â In fact, the move spelled the end of the Bretton Woods system and the last vestiges of the gold standard. Within two years, most major currencies âfloated,â rising and falling in value against one another based on market demand. According to the quantity theory of inflation, excessive issuance of fiat money can lead to its depreciation in value.
