Of course I agree with Brendan Greeley that minting a trillion-dollar platinum coin is “silly” (The Long View, FT Weekend, January 21).

But is not the existence of a debt ceiling — coming on top of normal restrictions on federal spending — also silly? Perhaps it will take an equally silly solution to solve the problem. But why waste money on platinum — make it out of aluminium.

Stephen Eccles
Annandale, VA, US