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Explore the history of money on a walking tour of London. Discover the hidden history of money, from ancient temples to Bitcoin, and explore the city's financial district.

Highlights

• Discover the hidden history of money, from ancient temples to Bitcoin
• Explore London's financial district and uncover its secrets and symbols
• Visit the Roman Temple of Mithras and learn about ancient banking rites
• See the Royal Exchange and learn about London's economic dominance
• Learn about the rise of power, debt, and empire through the ages

Description

Begin your journey amidst the stone and spirit of one of London’s oldest churches, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Discover how faith, symbolism, and architecture laid the groundwork for ideas of value, prosperity, and trust. Visit forgotten churches and descend into the Roman Temple of Mithras beneath Bloomberg’s HQ, where ancient rites, cosmic contracts, and the wisdom of debt forgiveness shaped banking. Trace the journey from Sumerian bull cults (symbols of abundance) through Babylonian clay tablets—the world’s earliest financial ledgers. Witness the origins of contracts, cosmic order, and the profound connection between time, trust, and 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. Uncover the magic and mysticism at the heart of money’s story. 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.

Includes

PDF Overview of Tour Walking tour through the City of London Visit to one of London's oldest churches Exploration of Roman Temple of Mithras Insight into the history of money from ancient times to Bitcoin Stories of famous merchants, bankers, and financial rebels Artistic and architectural symbol explanations

Important Information

• The tour involves walking through historic sites and may include uneven surfaces. Suitable for those interested in history, architecture, mythology, economics, or social transformation.

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund