Some reflections on minting regulations in the Crown of Castile (1296-1335). Benefits and beneficiaries of a tendentious interpretation of regulations and the use of insider information
Abstract
From the second half of the 13th century onwards, European mints increased their activity. Hitherto short-lived, these institutions became permanent with highly professional workers and masters adept at exploiting regulations to maximise profits. The French expression chatouiller le remède refers to the minting of coins at the lowest of fineness permissible. The aim of this paper is to study the possible use of these strategies during the 14th century in Castile. At the same time, we confirm how mint farmers linked information of coin issues with other speculative commercial activities, which were highly profitable for them but harmful to the economy.
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