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Accounting For Debasements: Indivisibility Or Imperfect Recognizability Of Money

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  • Ayushi Bajaj

Abstract

The widespread prevalence of debasements in medieval Europe constitutes a puzzle under standard price theory because people voluntarily exchanged heavy coins for lighter ones; the difference being kept as seigniorage. I explore two properties of commodity monies that might make holding light coins more desirable, namely indivisibility and imperfect recognizability. If the agent trades indivisible coins, there are inefficiencies arising from over production of goods when the agent uses the heavier coin. Also, when coins are imperfectly recognizable, the heavy coin faces adverse selection. I find that under some parameters, indivisibility by itself leads to positive revenue following debasements, but in a way that eliminates co‐circulation of coins. While with a sufficient degree of imperfect information, debasements can generate positive revenue and also co‐circulation of coins. (JEL D82, D83, E40, E42, N10)

Suggested Citation

  • Ayushi Bajaj, 2020. "Accounting For Debasements: Indivisibility Or Imperfect Recognizability Of Money," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 58(1), pages 374-385, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecinqu:v:58:y:2020:i:1:p:374-385
    DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12822
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael D. Bordo & William Roberds, 2022. "Central Bank Digital Currencies, an Old Tale With a New Chapter," NBER Working Papers 30709, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Michael D. Bordo & William Roberds, 2024. "Central Bank Digital Currencies: An Old Tale with a New Chapter," Working Papers 323, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • N10 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - General, International, or Comparative

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