George Selgin has a very interesting article today in the Wall Street Journal on the shortage of coins in Argentina. His recommendation? End the government monopoly on production of coins.

I still remember when the government here gave us the “sandwich coins” in 1965, thus completing (almost — pennies came 17 years later) the debasement of coinage in this country. Yes, despite the fact that government now was not using any silver at all to make dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars, nonetheless the propagandist in Washington (and on the editorial pages of our “leading” newspapers) insisted there was no difference at all in the coinage.