What do you think was happening to the economy of empire as people stopped using the official money?

As people stopped using the official money, the economy of the empire likely experienced significant destabilization. The decline in trust and acceptance of the official currency would lead to reduced trade and commerce, causing inflation or even deflation as alternative forms of exchange emerged. This could result in a fragmented economy, where bartering or the use of unofficial currencies became prevalent, undermining the empire's financial systems and governance. Overall, the erosion of confidence in the official money would severely hamper economic cohesion and growth.