Director's Hour with Michael Barsanti: Benjamin Franklin and the Making of Modern Money

Director’s Hour with Michael Barsanti: Benjamin Franklin and the Making of Modern Money

Tuesday, August 16th

Reception for in-person attendees 6:30-7:00 pm

Lecture begins at 7:00 pm

Hybrid Event

In Philadelphia, we tend to think of Benjamin Franklin’s legacy in terms of the institutions (like ours) that he helped to establish. In his lifetime, he was known mostly as a scientist, as the man who “stole lightning from the skies.” Today, around the world, Franklin is probably most recognized as the face on the $100 bill. His place there signifies that beyond his role as a diplomat, legislator, and scientist; he was very concerned with money itself and how it helps an economy function. Library Company of Philadelphia Edwin Wolf 2nd Director Michael Barsanti, Ph.D., will talk about Franklin and money – its role in his life and business, his arguments for the use of paper money, his innovations for making paper money more secure – but also how Franklin’s work with money anticipated the current development of cryptocurrency.

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