From Ricardo to Sraffa : gold as monetary standard in a classical theory of money

This chapter inquires into what could or should be a Classical theory of money and prices sixty years after Sraffa's Production of Commodities by Means of Commodities' publication. It takes as granted three basic propositions: (i) Sraffa's system of prices is relevant for determining Classical natural prices; (ii) a monetary standard (gold) is central to a Classical theory of money; (iii) Cantillon-Smith rule is pivotal to Classical market prices determination. The authors contend that: (i) the coexistence of a natural price and a legal price of gold is a necessary condition for a Classical theory of money; (ii) the market price of gold cannot be different from its legal price (no arbitrage); and (iii) the regulation of the quantity of money remains an open question.