From all the issues and areas the economic science deals with, only a few are more debated than the monetary aspects. We face fierce controversy everywhere: when and to what extent are “cheap money” or “expensive money” better? are there any economic responsibilities a central bank has to carry on and why? what is the optimal money supply for the economic system? what should be the role of governments in tackling the issues that have a monetary nature? how solid are the foundations of the current monetary system? will the return to the gold standard represent the necessary solution for the elimination of monetary “chaos”?

Such problems, along with the multitude of opinions on monetary aspects, define, in general, the theoretical explanations and public debates on currency. Certain economists consider that phenomena such as inflation and the business cycle have monetary causes, implying that stabilizing the money supply or its growth rate would represent the most important attribution of governments and monetary authorities. Other economists believe that money is less important, but without denying the significance of the currency and the impact of the monetary system upon the functioning of the economy and its performances.