The Age of Paper: The Bank Note, Communal Currency and British Society, 1790s–1830s (Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series) - Hardcover

Shin, Hiroki

 
9781009503273: The Age of Paper: The Bank Note, Communal Currency and British Society, 1790s–1830s (Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series)
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 1009503278 ISBN 13: 9781009503273
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2025

Synopsis

In the first detailed examination of Britain's transition to paper currency, Hiroki Shin explores how state, nation and community each played their respective role in its introduction. By examining archival materials and personal accounts, Shin's work sheds fresh light on societal, institutional, communal and individual responses to the transformation. The dominance of communal currency during the Bank Restriction period (1797–1821) demonstrates how paper currency derived its value from the community of users rather than the state or the intrinsic value of precious metal. Shin traces the expanded use of the Bank of England note – both geographically and socially – in this period, revealing the economic and social factors that accelerated this shift and the cultural manifestations of the paper-based monetary regime, from everyday politics to bank-note forgeries. This book serves as an essential resource for those interested in understanding the modern monetary system's historical origins.

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About the Author

Hiroki Shin is Associate Professor in the School of History and Cultures at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on the evolution of the modern economic system.

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Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publication date
2025
Language
English
ISBN 10 
1009503278
ISBN 13 
9781009503273
Binding
Hardcover
Number of pages
332