The great money divergence : European and Chinese coinage before the age of steam

Niv Horesh

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Economic historians have of late been preoccupied with mapping out and dating the "Great Divergence" between north-western Europe and China. However, relatively few studies have examined the path dependencies of either region insofar as the dynamics monetization, the spread of fiduciary currency or their implications for financial factor prices and domestic-market integration before the discovery of the New World. This article is designed to highlight the need for such a comprehensive scholarly undertaking by tracing the varying modes of coin production and circulation across Eurasia before steam-engines came on stream, and by examining what the implications of this currency divergence might be for our understanding of the early modem English and Chinese economies.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)103-137
    Number of pages35
    JournalJournal of Chinese Studies
    Volume55
    Publication statusPublished - 2012

    Keywords

    • China
    • Europe
    • coinage
    • coins
    • metallurgy
    • mints
    • money
    • steam-engines

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