Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
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Money From Thin Air – The Fractional Banking System

The Origins of Fractional Banking The fundamental idea governing the fractional banking system dates back to medieval England. Between 1000 and 1100 A.D., money lenders, who were at that time referred to as goldsmiths, secured the people’s gold and silver in their vaults. With each deposit of gold or silver, the depositors were given a…