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Articles

Money is a right: Alfred Lansburgh’s Token Theory of Money

 

Abstract

Alfred Lansburgh was a leading publicist on money in Germany during the Weimar Republic. He developed a Token Theory of Money, a nominalistic monetary theory with an endogenous quantity of money but warns of the danger of misuse. Only therefore, he combines his understanding of money as a right—as a legal claim on goods and services—with a metallistic conception of gold money. Lansburgh was misunderstood during his time, and he remains so until today. He was often described as an “orthodox gold money theorist,” but he was a passionate “token money theorist,” with many similarities e.g. to Joseph Schumpeter.

JEL CODES:

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 31 March 1950; translation, as with all other German quotations, are done by the author. This also applies where translations are published, e.g., Steins translation of “Vom Gelde” (2021), as it departs too far from the original to be used here.

2 There are, e.g., many reissuings of his main work “Vom Gelde,” one in 1982 (Sammlung Bokelberg), two in 2011 (Nikol and basis-Verlag), one in 2016 (Kopp), again in 2020 by Nikol and in 2021 by OECONIMUS. He was also quoted, e.g., in all major works on the hyperinflation of 1923 in Germany (esp. Feldman Citation1993).

3 The only exception is a contemporary dissertation by Hans Nagel (Citation1936).

4 From this field e.g., a first English translation of “On Money” in 2021 (Stein Citation2021).

5 Ellis (Citation1934, 44).

6 E.g. Derix (Citation2019, 104f).

7 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 11–13).

8 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 10), similar, e.g., Nagel (Citation1936, 62).

9 Lansburgh reports on his time at BHG during the crisis with Serbia (1885–1895) in “Die Bank,” quoted in BHG (Citation1959, 80–82).

10 Manuskript “Memoirs of a Continental” von 1960 im Exil-Archiv: NL 165—Werner Lansburgh EB 2001/108, 1.

11 Unfortunately, the concrete stock of books in the library remain unknown.

12 Lansburgh (Citation1912 Gewerkschaft, 894).

13 Wöhler (Citation1914, 31–46).

14 Berliner Börsen-Zeitung, 27 May 1902.

15 Obst (Citation1904, 5).

16 Lansburgh (Citation1930 Krisis, 1493).

17 Lansburgh (Citation1930 Krisis, 1494).

18 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1125).

19 Lansburgh (Citation1922 Von der Arbeit, 417).

20 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik).

21 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 62 (8th letter).

22 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 127).

23 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1129).

24 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 716).

25 Degener (Citation1935).

26 Schmalenbach (Citation1906, 363).

27 Berliner Börsen-Zeitung, 28 August 1904, Berliner Börsen-Zeitung, and Berliner Tageblatt of 10 August 1905.

28 Berliner Tageblatt on 8 February 1908, and on 17 February 1908; New York Times on 14 July 1908.

29 Radu (Citation2017, 15f, 298, 336f).

30 Ratgeber auf dem Kapitalmarkt vom 31.05.1908; Radu (Citation2017, 13f, 299ff); Lansburgh (Citation1908 Genesis).

31 Lansburgh (Citation1908 Kurszettel, 254).

32 E.g., in the “Ratgeber auf dem Kapitalmarkt” of 30 May and 9 September 1909, or 20 February 20 and 11 December 1910. In addition, in 1910 the Bank-Verlag published the book “Unlautere Geschäftsformen im Bankiergewerbe (Bucketshop-System)” by Arthur Nussbaum, who had previously written two essays on this topic at “Die Bank.”

33 Weber (Citation1915, 193).

34 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 12); foundation announced in the Berliner Volkszeitung of 25 December 1907.

35 Müller (Citation1925, 20).

36 Hofmann (Citation1960, 26f); there are also similarities with “Der deutsche Volkswirt” see Rieter (Citation1989).

37 e.g., New York Times of 9 December 1923, 1 January 1932, and 20 November 1933.

38 Bundesarchiv R 43-I/2354, the expert opinion has also been published under: Lansburgh (Citation1919).

39 Ackermann (Citation1929, 23f, 27, 49, 83).

40 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 15).

41 Borchardt/Schötz (1991, 55).

42 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Präsidenten-Wechsel, 426); Schwebende Schuld (1930/1931, 617–619); Reparations-Taktik (1931/1, 331–333); Die Diskont-Senkung der Reichsbank (1932/1, 506–509); Der Präsidenten-Wechsel bei der Reichsbank (1933/1, 424–426).

43 Luther (Citation1932).

44 Bundesarchiv R 2501/6492, R 2501/6418, R 2501/6482.

45 Borchardt and Schötz (Citation1991, 17) and Brügelmann (Citation1956, 133).

46 At least with Edgar Salin there seems to have been such an agreement (see Kim Citation1997 86, 131f).

47 Borchardt and Schötz (Citation1991, 195); the lack of reserves has been a topic in Lansburghs texts since Citation1908.

48 Borchardt and Schötz (Citation1991, 199).

49 Borchardt and Schötz (Citation1991, 200).

50 Translated from the manuscript “Memoirs of a Continental” from 1960 in the Exil-Archiv NL 165 - Werner Lansburgh EB 2001/108, 7.

51 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 92).

52 Personnel file of Ludwig Mellinger in the archive of the IHK Munich.

53 Bundesarchiv, Arbeitswissenschaftliches Institut der Deutschen Arbeitsfront, NS5-VI Nr. 17646, 79–81; see also Wirtschaftsdienst (1934), 9 February 1934, 183 and Die deutsche Volkswirtschaft, 20 December 1933, 553f.

54 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Brief, 1696).

55 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundsätzliches, 1789).

56 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 127).

57 See Greitens (Citation2021). For details, see the Appendix.

58 The methodology is similar to Ambrosino (Citation2018) and Küsters (Citation2019, 24–30, but with different tools). The Topic Modeling (LDA) was done in R using the package “quanteda” and “stm,” and thus, based on Benoit et al. (Citation2018).

59 For example, the series “Das deutsche Bankwesen” (The German Banking System) and “Die Verwaltung des Volksvermögens durch die Banken” (The Administration of National Property by the Banks) from 1908, “Grundsätzliches zur Bank-Enquête” (Fundamentals of the Bank Enquête) from 1933.

60 For example, the series “Das gute und das schlechte Geld” (Good and Bad Money) (1917), “Die Krisis und das Gold” (The Crisis and Gold) (1931) and “Grundriss der Geldlehre” (Ground Plan of the Theory of Money) (1933).

61 For example, the series “Grundsätzliches zur Frage der Kriegsentschädigung” (Fundamentals of the Question of War Reparations) (1915), “Rationalisierung” (Rationalization) (1926) and “Zur Diagnose der Krisis” (Diagnosis of the Crisis) (1930).

62 For example, “Die Bagdadbahn” (The Baghdad Railway) (1908), “Die Börse und ihre Besteuerung” (The Stock Exchange and its Taxation) (1909) and “Der Bankiertag und die Landwirtschaft” (Bankers Day and Agriculture) (1928)

63 In particular, the annual commentary on the financial statements of the major banks, but also, for example, the series “Depositenbank-Ausweise” (1909) and “Bankenwende” (1924).

64 Examples include “Der Vater des Genossenschaftswesens” (The Father of the Cooperative System) (1908), “Die städtischen Sparkassen in Preussen” (The Municipal Savings Banks in Prussia) (1909) and the series “Die deutsche Kommunalbank” (The German Municipal Bank) (1912) and “Wohnungsbau und Kapitalmarkt” (Housing Construction and the Capital Market) (1927).

65 For example, the series “Die grossen Notenbanken im Dienste der kriegführenden Staaten” (The major central banks in the service of the warring states) (1915), “Die Weltgeld-Eigenschaft des Goldes” (The world money property of gold) (1916), “Die Goldreserve der Vereinigten Staaten” (The gold reserves of the United States) (1925) and “Managed currency” (1932).

66 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Bankwesen, 33, 63); see also Nagel (Citation1936, 30).

67 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Bankwesen, 63).

68 Hilferding (Citation1910).

69 Liefmann (Citation1909).

70 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Bankwesen, 39ff, 47ff).

71 Lansburgh (Citation1910 Selbsthilfe, 1012).

72 Lansburgh (Citation1910 Selbsthilfe), Lansburgh (Citation1913 Konditionenkartell), Lansburgh (Citation1914 Privatbankiers), Lansburgh (Citation1915 Existenzfrage), Lansburgh (Citation1919 Wiedergeburt).

73 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Bankwesen), Lansburgh (Citation1910 Selbsthilfe); Lansburgh (Citation1913 Konditionenkartell); Lansburgh (Citation1914 Privatbankiers); Lansburgh (Citation1915 Existenzfrage).

74 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Regional-Banken, 1646).

75 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Regional-Banken, 1646).

76 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Regional-Banken, 1650f).

77 There are Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Japanese, and Dutch translations.

78 Berliner Tageblatt, 13 March 1921.

79 Lansburgh (Citation1990, 84).

80 Wirtschaftsdienst (1934, 9 February 1934, 183).

81 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 635).

82 On starting page of “Wesen des Geldes” Lansburgh (Citation1923).

83 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 10).

84 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 20) (Letter 2).

85 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 18) (Letter 2)

86 Lansburgh and Ostermann (Citation1925, 697).

87 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 43).

88 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 13).

89 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 554).

90 Knapp (Citation1905, 31).

91 Galiani (Citation1751, 67).

92 Galiani (Citation1751, 68).

93 Galiani (Citation1751, 68).

94 Galiani (Citation1751, 68).

95 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 725).

96 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1127).

97 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 636; see Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 126).

98 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 162).

99 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 155).

100 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 162).

101 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 555); see Lansburgh and Ostermann (Citation1925, 698).

102 Due to the lack of gold, only 1/15 of the required volume of money could be covered by gold in the 1923 currency reform. Therefore, one looked for another pledge good that could represent the gold, rye. (Lansburgh 192586Wie entsteht Geld?, 141).

103 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 647).

104 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 555).

105 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1125f.)

106 Roche (Citation2021, 88).

107 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1126).

108 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1126).

109 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 184).

110 Nagel (Citation1936, 5).

111 Nagel (Citation1936, 6); Lansburgh discussed Bendixen‘s interpretation and further development of Knapp in Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld).

112 Nagel (Citation1936, 7).

113 E.g., Nagel (Citation1936, 8f).

114 Nagel (Citation1936, 3); similar to Bendixen (Citation1910, 146).

115 Nagel (Citation1936, 4, 55).

116 Lansburgh also writes that increased production leads to an increase in the speed of circulation (Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 56 (7. Brief)). However, Nagel rightly highlighted that this point remained unclear (Nagel 193686, 23, 25f).

117 Lansburgh (Citation1927 Bankpolitik, 339f).

118 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 177).

119 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 179).

120 Schumpeter (Citation1918, 181).

121 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 722); similar, e.g., Lansburgh (Citation1933 Geldbeschaffung, 921f).

122 Lansburgh (Citation1927 Bankpolitik, 341f).

123 See Lansburgh (Citation1920 Dalberg, 268).

124 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 724).

125 Lansburgh (Citation1927 Bankpolitik, 337f).

126 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1131f).

127 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 379).

128 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 9 (1934)).

129 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 46 (6th letter)).

130 Lansburgh (Citation1933 Grundriß der Geldlehre, 8 (1934)).

131 Lansburgh (Citation1909 Im Zeichen der ungedeckten Note, 1130).

132 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 45 (6th letter)).

133 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 77 (11th letter)).

134 Lansburgh (Citation1928 Inflation, 449).

135 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 28f (3rd letter)).

136 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 32 (4th letter)).

137 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 37 (4th letter)).

138 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 641f); he refers in particular to Gustav Cassel and Irving Fisher.

139 Lansburgh (Citation1923 Wesen des Geldes, 27 (3rd letter)).

140 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 641f).

141 Berliner Tageblatt, March 13, 1921.

142 Greitens (Citation2020, 7).

143 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 541).

144 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 542).

145 Lansburgh (Citation1917 Das gute und das schlechte Geld, 543).

146 Lansburgh (Citation1920 Dalberg, 269).

147 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik).

148 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik).

149 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik); almost identical wording as in Schumpeter (Citation1918, 547..

150 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik).

151 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik).

152 Lansburgh (Citation1937 Konjunktur-Politik).

153 Mises (Citation1928).

154 Döring (Citation1920, 14).

155 Döring (Citation1920, 83).

156 Ellis (Citation1934, 43).

157 Ellis (Citation1934, 43f); Ellis also falls for Lansburgh’s masquerade, mistaking him for a practical banker. (44, 218)

158 Hahn (Citation1930, 93), referring to Lansburgh (Citation1917 Wiederherstellung der Landeswährung, 794).

159 Hagemann (Citation2015, 316).

160 Lansburgh (Citation1928 Erkenntniswert der Depositenziffern, 396).

161 Hahn (Citation1926)

162 Lansburgh (Citation1928 Erkenntniswert der Depositenziffern, 404).

163 Hagemann (Citation2015, 314, 331).

164 Muthesius (Citation1955, 20); Muthesius (Citation1973, 117). This is why Muthesius repeatedly quotes Lansburgh as saying, “Bad money is about the greatest misfortune that can happen to a nation” (Muthesius (Citation1955, 20); Muthesius (Citation1973, 34).

165 Mee (Citation2019, 92, 111, 128–131, 306).

166 Examples of books and articles written by Hahn published by Muthesius: Wirtschaftswissenschaft des gesunden Menschenverstandes (1954, Fritz Knapp Verlag), Geld und Kredit (1960, Fritz Knapp Verlag), Prophezeite Inflation (Zeitschrift für das gesamte Kreditwesen, 20/1951, 492d//493).

167 Köhler and Nientiedt (Citation2017) Although he was offered the position of successor to Walter Eucken at the University of Freiburg in 1952 (Röpke Archive at the University of Cologne: letter from Muthesius to Rüstow (copy to Röpke) dated 1.11.1952 and letter from Röpke to Muthesius dated 5.11.1952).

168 For example, Bruno Moll wrote two essays for Die Bank.

169 Moll (Citation1926, 6).

170 Moll (Citation1926, 22f).

171 Lansburgh (Citation1919 Moll, 132).

172 Lansburgh (Citation1919 Moll, 132).

173 Mentioned twice by Lansburgh at Die Bank, one of them critical of Schumpeter’s credit theory (Lansburgh 193386Geldbeschaffung, 924).

174 Schumpeter (Citation1927).

175 Mentioned four times by Lansburgh at Die Bank, but only with references to free trade.

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