The Magic of Money

Chris Blattman and commenters discuss why some African countries do not accept US currency from certain dates (and certain denominations). It's actually a bit of a mystery, and an interesting one since it seems to be partially a matter of rumors hypostatized in the form of bills. That's pretty much what we do with money anyway, as Marx pointed out, lending profound social significance to what is essentially paper or metal with some images and numbers on them.