This book is a detailed analysis of the high finance, with a particular focus on currency. Miles delves into the history of currency, the functions of central banks, the gold standard, and the role of banks in monetary systems. He also considers the various forms of national currency and highlights their strengths and weaknesses. This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading informed political commentary, especially concerning economic policy. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.