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An Essay on the Emergence of the International Gold Standard, 1870-80

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Author Info
Flandreau, Marc

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Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the theory of endogenous regime changes which takes as an illustration the making of the classical gold standard. The international gold-based fixed exchange rate regime that surfaced during the 1870s has traditionally been interpreted as resulting from a mix of structural factors (Kindleberger (1993)), free-rider problems (Kenwood and Lougheed (1972)), transaction costs considerations (Redish (1992)), or political economy forces (Gallarotti (1990)). This paper - initially written to disentangle these various theories - argues that none of the traditionally accepted views proves sufficiently robust to closer scrutiny. We build a model of the pre-1870 international monetary system which allows us to formally test and reject the `free-rider' and `structural' views. We rely on historical and microeconomic evidence to criticize the `transaction costs' and `political economy' theories. Finally, we provide an alternative explanation of the emergence of the gold standard. Our conclusion is twofold. First, we argue that the making of the gold standard was very much the result of path-dependency and coordination problems. Second, we claim that the very process through which the gold standard was adopted played a major role in shaping its operation.

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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 1210.

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Date of creation: Jul 1995
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Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:1210

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Related research
Keywords: Central Banking; Coordination; Gold Standard; International Monetary System; Regime Change;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
E5 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit
N2 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions

Cited by:
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  2. Meissner, C.M. & Oomes, N., 2006. "Why Do Countries Peg the Way They Peg? The Determinants of Anchor Currency Choice," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0643, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Rui Pedro Esteves & Jaime Reis & Fabiano Ferramosca, 2007. "Market Integration in the Golden periphery The Lisbon/London Exchange, 1854-1891," Economics Series Working Papers 338, University of Oxford, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  4. J. Ernesto López-Córdova & Christopher M. Meissner, 2003. "Exchange-Rate Regimes and International Trade: Evidence from the Classical Gold Standard Era," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(1), pages 344-353, March. [Downloadable!]
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  5. António Portugal Duarte & João Sousa Andrade, 2005. "How the gold standard functioned in Portugal: an analysis of some macroeconomic aspects," Method and Hist of Econ Thought 0505002, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
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  6. Francois R. Velde, 2002. "Following the yellow brick road: how the United States adopted the gold standard," Economic Perspectives, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, issue Q II, pages 42-58. [Downloadable!]
  7. François R. Velde & Warren E. Weber, 1998. "A model of bimetallism," Working Papers 588, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Michael D Bordo & Christopher M Meissner & Marc D Weidenmier, 2006. "Currency Mismatches, Default Risk, and Exchange Rate Depreciation: Evidence from the End of Bimetallism," WEF Working Papers 0010, ESRC World Economy and Finance Research Programme, Birkbeck, University of London. [Downloadable!]
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  9. Sophia Lazaretou, 2004. "The Drachma, Foreign Creditors and the International Monetary System: Tales of a Currency during the 19th and the Early 20th Century," Working Papers 16, Bank of Greece. [Downloadable!]
  10. Michael B. Devereux & Gregor W. Smith, 2005. "Transfer Problem Dynamics: Macroeconomics of the Franco-Prussian War Indemnity," Working Papers 1025, Queen's University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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