
audiobook
AN INQUIRYINTO THEPRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL OECONOMY:
CHAP. I. Consequences of imposing the Price of Coinage, and the Duty of Seignorage upon the Coin of a Nation, so far as they affect the Price of Bullion, and that of all other Commodities.
CHAP. II. Concerning the Influence which the imposing the Price of Coinage, and the Duty of Seigniorage in the English Mint, will have upon the Course of Exchange, and Trade of Great Britain.
CHAP. III. Is the loss which the course of exchange marks upon the trade of Great Britain with France real or apparent?
CHAP. IV. Of the different methods of imposing coinage; and of the influence they respectively have upon the value of the money-unit, and upon the domestic interests of the nation.
CHAP. V. How an Experiment may be made to discover with Certainty the real Effects of the Imposition of Coinage.
CHAP. VI. Miscellaneous Questions and Observations concerning the Doctrine of Money and Coin.
CHAP. VII. Of the Regulations observed in France, with regard to Coin, Bullion, and Plate.
CHAP. VIII. Of the Regulations observed in Holland, with regard to Coin and Bullion.
INTRODUCTION.
This volume delves into the mechanics of money and coinage, exploring how the policies that govern minting and seigniorage shape the prices of bullion, goods, and the broader economy. The author examines the ripple effects of imposing a fixed price on coin, showing how it can depress or lift commodity values, influence trade balances, and affect the fortunes of domestic producers versus foreign competitors. By tracing the relationship between the cost of coinage and the flow of trade, the work offers a systematic look at the forces that drive exchange rates and market stability.
Beyond the technical details, the treatise invites readers to consider practical experiments for testing these theories, such as recalling foreign guineas to gauge real‑world impact. It balances scholarly analysis with concrete examples drawn from England’s dealings with France, making the complex subject of monetary policy accessible to anyone interested in the foundations of modern economic thought.
Full title
An Inquiry into the Principles of Political Oeconomy (Vol. 2 of 2) Being an essay on the science of domestic policy in free nations. In which are particularly considered population, agriculture, trade, industry, money, coin, interest, circulation, banks, exchange, public credit, and taxes Being an essay on the science of domestic policy in free nations. In which are particularly considered population, agriculture, trade, industry, money, coin, interest, circulation, banks, exchange, public credit, and taxes
Language
en
Duration
~23 hours (1353K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
KD Weeks, MFR and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2021-11-11
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1712–1780
Best known for a major 1767 work on political economy, this Scottish thinker is often remembered as an early system-builder in economics. His life also included years of exile after the Jacobite rising, giving his writing an unusually wide European perspective.
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