Right, it's not exactly the same kind of "holding". But in this case also (burying the money), the economy (a free one) is not hurt. To get a view of it: what

Right, it's not exactly the same kind of "holding". But in this case also (burying the money), the economy (a free one) is not hurt. To get a view of it: what if I have chests full of gold, then before dying I take tons of them, burn and bury so no one else ever put their hands on it? Nobody is hurt. Nobody is getting less food than they would, nobody is getting less anything than they would, because even if I bury the money I have, I didn't bury any other of the goods and services that are available in the economy in any time. Because money is just a resources "coordinator's" power. If I burn mine, I'm just letting go of that power and letting someone else do it instead. Sure, saying I had all that money not stealing or anything of the sort implies ppl I'm involved with (in/directly) are so much better that I "was allowed to coordinate more"/"received a lot of money". But still, in the end, the economy is not hurt.