Category The Bretton Woods Agreement: The Global Gold Standard

The rise of fiat currencies and the end of metal-based standards

The Bretton Woods Agreement of 1944 initially established a gold-backed global monetary system, with the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency. However, by the late 20th century, even this gold-based system would be abandoned, giving rise to fiat currencies—money…

Post-WWII monetary systems sidelined silver entirely

Post-WWII monetary systems marked the final chapter in silver’s long history as a monetary metal. With the establishment of the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1944, global finance shifted to a gold-backed U.S. dollar, sidelining silver entirely from international monetary policy.…