Their banks’ reputations could have been tarnished by almost anything, but likely most tarnish is attributable to the subprime mortgage meltdown and the ensuing financial crisis that cost the economy trillions of dollars; left millions of Americans bankrupted, jobless, underemployed, or homeless; triggered massive litigation; and shook the confidence of our nation to the core.
I would compare money to a poem, since a poem always retains its structure, just as a gold coin always retains the image stamped on it. Once formed – whether written or minted – these two things should not and cannot be altered. Goethe gave considerable thought to this issue, as you can see from reading Faust.