Preamble: I’m currently on hiatus for work. I won’t have time to post – so I’m sharing a few things to keep you entertained until I get back. Many people think that inflation is basically a function of paper money. Well, the Roman emperors managed to do it with coins.

Rolling Alpha posts opinions on finance, economics, and sometimes things that are only loosely related. Follow me on Twitter @RollingAlpha, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rollingalpha. Also, check out the RA podcast on iTunes: The Story of Money.