Visit forgotten churches and descend into the Roman Temple of Mithras beneath Bloomberg’s HQ, where ancient rites, cosmic contracts and ideas of debt forgiveness helped shape early banking. Trace the story from Mesopotamian clay tablets – some of the world’s earliest financial records – to the birth of contracts and ledgers, and discover how time, trust and obligation became the foundations of money.
Follow the dramatic evolution of trade, barter, and debt through the ages. Review how gift economies created social cohesion—and how Romans imposed the first major debt-driven financial systems. Explore how the invention of interest, contracts, and compound interest enabled the concentration of wealth, sowed the seeds of oligarchy, and led to cyclical crises and debt jubilees, echoed in stories of Mammon and moral struggle.
Stand within the shadow of the Royal Exchange and the Square Mile’s historic streets, learning how goldsmiths, Papal bankers, and the merchant dynasties built London’s economic dominance. Decode the meaning behind hidden friezes (Caduceus, ship’s rudder, allegorical figures) and see how symbols of navigation, fate, and healing intertwine with the rise of stock markets, commodity trading, and sophisticated financial instruments.
See how religious institutions shaped trust and ethics in banking and lending, and how usury laws sparked ingenious loopholes and the birth of “money magicians.” Learn how the Medici and Lombards changed the rules—using bills of exchange, double entry bookkeeping, and innovative contracts to evade bans on charging interest, fuelling global commerce.
Witness London’s journey through cycles of prosperity and collapse—driven by balance and imbalance, trust and betrayal. See how Britain, through legal reform, trade, and innovation, emerged as the world’s financial capital. Conclude with a visionary exploration of the leap from paper notes and government bonds, through the invention of digital ledgers, to the revolutionary promise (and risks) of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies—the modern heirs to Babylon’s ancient system.
