Now, with the yen up more than 12% since mid-July—and perhaps headed for even bigger gains—will we soon be joking about the Japanese “deutsche mark?” On any list of folks hating the Bank ...

Now the mark stands alone, and is expected in turn to be replaced in January 2002 by the European Union's common currency, the euro. The mark is already a sub-unit of the euro.

The German Mark, the British shilling, the French franc, and the Italian lira all had about equal value, and all were exchanged four or five to the dollar. That was in 1914. In 1923, at the most ...

In 1914, the exchange rate of the German mark to the American dollar was about 4.2 to one. Nine years later, it was 4.2 trillion to one. The out-of-control inflation began somewhat mildly during ...