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The Case of the Missing Currency

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  • Case M. Sprenkle

Abstract

In late 1992, currency in the hands of the public was close to $300 billion, representing nearly 30 percent of M1. One would think that an economic variable of this magnitude would be well-analyzed and well-understood. Quite the contrary. The last serious surveys of currency holdings commissioned by the Federal Reserve were in 1984 and 1986. These surveys indicate that currency demand is not at all understood. Probably the most intriguing and newsworthy result of these surveys was that about 80 percent of currency holdings simply could not be explained. Despite the stir of general interest that followed those studies, economists have shown little lasting interest in considering the implications of these findings. This paper is written in hopes of stimulating more interest in currency behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Case M. Sprenkle, 1993. "The Case of the Missing Currency," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(4), pages 175-184, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jecper:v:7:y:1993:i:4:p:175-84
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.7.4.175
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    File URL: http://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/jep.7.4.175
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Whitesell, William C, 1989. "The Demand for Currency versus Debitable Accounts: A Note," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 21(2), pages 246-257, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kenneth S. Chan, 2001. "The Internationalisation of Hong Kong Dollar: An Analytical Framework," Working Papers 012001, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    2. Humphrey, David B., 2004. "Replacement of cash by cards in US consumer payments," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(3), pages 211-225.
    3. Haughton, Jonathan, 1995. "Adding mystery to the case of the missing currency," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(35), pages 595-602.
    4. Albanesi, Stefania, 2007. "Inflation and inequality," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(4), pages 1088-1114, May.
    5. Orazio P. Attanasio & Luigi Guiso & Tullio Jappelli, 2002. "The Demand for Money, Financial Innovation, and the Welfare Cost of Inflation: An Analysis with Household Data," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(2), pages 317-351, April.
    6. Judson, Ruth A. & Porter, Richard D., 2004. "Currency demand by federal reserve cash office: what do we know?," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(4), pages 273-285.
    7. Calza Alessandro & Zaghini Andrea, 2011. "Welfare Costs of Inflation and the Circulation of U.S. Currency Abroad," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, May.
    8. Brian M. Doyle, 2000. "\"Here, dollars, dollars ...\"estimating currency demand and worldwide currency substitution," International Finance Discussion Papers 657, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    9. Kenneth S. Chan, 2001. "Currency Substitution between Hong Kong Dollar and Renminbi in South China," Working Papers 022001, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    10. Garcés Díaz Daniel, 2017. "Explaining Inflation with a Classical Dichotomy Model and Switching Monetary Regimes: Mexico 1932-2013," Working Papers 2017-20, Banco de México.
    11. Malte Krueger & Charles Goodhart, 2001. "The Impact of Technology on Cash Usage," FMG Discussion Papers dp374, Financial Markets Group.
    12. Erosa, Andres & Ventura, Gustavo, 2002. "On inflation as a regressive consumption tax," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 761-795, May.
    13. Oomes, Nienke & Ohnsorge, Franziska, 2005. "Money demand and inflation in dollarized economies: The case of Russia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 462-483, September.
    14. Hafer, R. W. & Haslag, Joseph H. & Hein, Scott E., 1996. "Implementing monetary base rules: The currency problem," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 461-472, December.
    15. Assenmacher, Katrin & Seitz, Franz & Tenhofen, Jörn, 2017. "The use of large denomination banknotes in Switzerland," International Cash Conference 2017 – War on Cash: Is there a Future for Cash? 162917, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    16. Ghezavati , V. R., 2012. "A New Mathematical Model to Design Optimum Denomination of Coins and Banknotes Range (ODCBR)," Journal of Money and Economy, Monetary and Banking Research Institute, Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran, vol. 6(4), pages 167-186, July.
    17. Feige, Edgar L., 2011. "New estimates of U.S. currency abroad, the domestic money supply and the unreported Economy," MPRA Paper 34778, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Kamin, Steven B. & Ericsson, Neil R., 2003. "Dollarization in post-hyperinflationary Argentina," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 185-211, April.
    19. Hancock, Diana & Humphrey, David B., 1997. "Payment transactions, instruments, and systems: A survey," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(11-12), pages 1573-1624, December.
    20. John Anderson & Hendrik van den Berg, 1998. "Fiscal Decentralization and Government Size: An International Test for Leviathan Accounting for Unmeasured Economic Activity," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 5(2), pages 171-186, May.
    21. Feige, Edgar L., 2009. "New estimates of overseas U.S. currency holdings, the Underground economy and the "Tax Gap"," MPRA Paper 19564, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Camera, Gabriele, 2001. "Dirty money," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 377-415, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money

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