Poll Results: The History of Paper Money

I'd honestly go for China during the Three Kingdoms period.

My suggestions for the next months: World's First Circumnavigation, Protestant Reformation + Catholic Inquisition, and Warring States China.

Judas Martel

Hey, just wondering when the next topic suggestion raffle would be.

Josh Kendall

Well, trick or treating is basically socially acceptable begging, anyway, so... History of paper money is totally on topic for that :D

Stephen

Justin I've been tilting at that windmill myself! There's a lot of history out there and it's hard to compete. Vlad is awesome, but so is William Walice, and King Tut, and millions of others. I love Vlad and his reign of literal terror. Eventually they'll get to it!

Robbie the Gnome

Well, at least the French are used to losing. --- Now excuse me while I go hide under a desk, because my high school French teacher (from Grenoble) once popped out of nowhere to scold me for making that joke in the hallway of a different building and now I'm pretty sure she can just *manifest* to punish people for it.

Extra History

I hate to tell you, but this vote basically IS the series for October. :(

Extra History

just something you might consider for october

Justin James

Know what would be AWESOME for a halloween topic? the History of Count Vlad Tepes, or Vlad II...commonly called Dracula. =3

Justin James

Apparently it's a myth that currency systems evolved out of barter systems. Prior to paper money, however, as I recall what used to happen is if you needed to transport large quantities of cash from a to b (e.g. you're a merchant on a trade route), you spend your money to buy jewels and spices at one side of the trip, and sell them at the other side, because that way the wealth you're transporting was lighter than it would be in actual cash.

Stephen

Oh, gosh. That reminds me - I'm probably going to need to link this one when it airs to a huge Hamilton fan I know...

Stephen

I usually vote for 2 in the approval system. I wound up voting for three this time.

Stephen

Damnit, it's never the French ones >.< Well Walpole jokes aplenty ahead. Probably even an aside about the original American Confederacy's attempts at paper cash failing miserably (the first one before the Constitution)

The Cayute

Yeah, I had a really tough time choosing.

Michael Brewer

For once it won't even be hard to work him in. ;)

Extra History

It's all about the world you'd rather live in.

Extra History

I think that's the one where an ex con turned royal postmaster got made head of the mint, and - wait, I'm mixing Discworld up with history again? Aww dangit.

Nessf

I sense many "it was Walpole" moments on the horizon . . .

Tiberia Prima

Most of it was that those summaries weren't really able to represent the full range of the topic. For example, the First Crusade is classified as "Europe" but much of the action took place in Asia Minor. Or the South Sea Bubbles series was classified as "England," which fits, but doesn't describe the fact that it's mostly an economic history series. Same for Broad Street Pump, which was classified as "England" but is a history of medicine story. In these cases, both descriptions would be accurate so picking one seemed arbitrary. Or take Mary Seacole - do you classify her as Crimea, even though it's only episode 2 that takes place there? Or England? Or Jamaica? Or History of Medicine? Basically it was adding another layer of editorial judgment, i.e. "These are the people to whom this history belongs." So it was largely that, but the final nail in the coffin was that as always, we want to encourage you all to Google these topics. Only one topic can win, but if you wind up Googling all of them to find out what the other three are about, then in a small way at least you get a taste of more history than we'll have time to share on the show.

Extra History

Are there a reason why you have stoped labeling the different topics by what history they come from. It was really nice to know if it was Roman, Medival Europe, Ecnomics or Scientific history. I personally did not know who the Gracchi Brothers where, but I would have voted on them if I knew it was Roman history. Also it bugs me that half of the Justinian series start with Byzantine Empire and the Other does not, guess i have OCD or something. However keep up the great work, cant wait for the Christian Schisms series.

It was definitely a fine example of the agony of choice.

Robbie the Gnome

I sense many images of Fallout barter system being used to explain how it worked before money.

Sean Sarff

Oh gosh. You're right, the Walpole bar has to be set very high for this one...

Extra History

But but but... he thinks therefore he needs to!

Max Hardcastle

Nothing says he can't come back some day!

Extra History

That's me every vote session.

Extra History

So, like, Andrew Jackson then?

Extra History

Get ready for all the nuts who want the gold standard back and think paper money is a tool of the Illuminati.

Kurt Yost

I looked at the topics and thought "But I want them all!"

Alex Wiens

The Walpole connection should be *amazing*

Alex Wiens

What a joke. Choosing money over the greatest dude to ever live? Descartes? SHAME! This guy was epic!!!

Max Hardcastle

Yessssss economics!

Brett