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Competing Bimetallic Ratios: Amsterdam, London, and Bullion Arbitrage in Mid-Eighteenth Century

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  • Nogues-Marco, Pilar

Abstract

This article analyzes the stability of bimetallism for countries operating in integrated bullion markets that enact different legal ratios. I articulate a new theoretical framework to demonstrate that two countries can both be bimetallic only if they coordinate their legal ratios. The theoretical framework is applied to the mid-eighteenth century when London's legal ratio was 3.8 percent higher than that of Amsterdam. I find that Amsterdam was effectively on the bimetallic standard, whereas London was on a de facto gold standard.

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  • Nogues-Marco, Pilar, 2013. "Competing Bimetallic Ratios: Amsterdam, London, and Bullion Arbitrage in Mid-Eighteenth Century," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 73(2), pages 445-476, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jechis:v:73:y:2013:i:02:p:445-476_00
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    2. Adam Brzezinski & Yao Chen & Nuno Palma & Felix Ward, 2024. "The Vagaries of the Sea: Evidence on the Real Effects of Money from Maritime Disasters in the Spanish Empire," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(5), pages 1220-1235, September.
    3. Nogues-Marco, Pilar & Herranz-Loncán, Alfonso & Aslanidis, Nektarios, 2019. "The Making of a National Currency: Spatial Transaction Costs and Money Market Integration in Spain (1825–1874)," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 79(4), pages 1094-1128, December.
    4. Rita Martins de Sousa, 2019. "Portugal adoption of the gold standard: political reasons for a monetary choice (1846-1854)," Working Papers GHES - Office of Economic and Social History 2019/64, ISEG - Lisbon School of Economics and Management, GHES - Social and Economic History Research Unit, Universidade de Lisboa.
    5. Ma, Debin & Zhao, Liuyan, 2019. "A Silver Transformation: Chinese Monetary Integration in Times of Political Disintegration during 1898-1933," CEPR Discussion Papers 13501, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Nogues-Marco, Pilar, 2017. "Money Markets and Exchange Rates in Pre-Industrial Europe," Working Papers unige:100808, University of Geneva, Paul Bairoch Institute of Economic History.
    7. G. Geoffrey Booth & Sanders S. Chang, 2017. "Domestic exchange rate determination in Renaissance Florence," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 11(3), pages 405-445, September.
    8. James Vladimir Torres, 2019. "Bullion and Monetary Flows in the Northern Andes: New Evidence and Insights, 1780-1800," Tiempo y Economía, Universidad de Bogotá Jorge Tadeo Lozano, vol. 6(1), pages 13-45, February.
    9. Nogues-Marco, Pilar & Esteves, Rui, 2019. "Monetary Systems and the Global Balance-of-Payments Adjustment in the Pre-Gold Standard Period, 1700-1870," CEPR Discussion Papers 13652, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    10. 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..
    11. Irigoin, Alejandra & Kobayashi, Atsushi & Chilosi, David, 2023. "China inside out: explaining silver flows in the triangular trade, c.1820s-1870s," Economic History Working Papers 119759, London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History.
    12. Adam Brzezinski & Yao Chen & Nuno Palma & Felix Ward, 2024. "The Vagaries of the Sea: Evidence on the Real Effects of Money from Maritime Disasters in the Spanish Empire," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 106(5), pages 1220-1235, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Sytsems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N23 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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