Political reasons for monetary policy choices: Portugal’s adoption of the gold standard (1846-1854)

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33231/j.ihe.2025.02.01

Abstract

The present article aims to shed light on the reasons why Portugal changed its monetary regime before any other European country, given that the golden era of the bimetallic regime lasted until the early 1870s. It stresses that the transition to the gold standard in Portugal can be explained by analysing two preparatory steps, one in 1847 and another in 1851. In 1847, changes in the bimetallic ratio led to a fall in the price of silver. In 1851, the decision to keep British gold coins in circulation was taken in response to pressure from groups who had negotiated with these coins and in response to the establishment of a committee to analyse the so-called 'monetary situation'. The then Minister of the Treasury, António José d'Ávila, was not in favour of keeping the British currency in circulation, but political pressure forced his hand.

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Published

2025-06-02

How to Cite

Martins de Sousa, R. (2025). Political reasons for monetary policy choices: Portugal’s adoption of the gold standard (1846-1854). Investigaciones De Historia Económica, 21(2), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.33231/j.ihe.2025.02.01

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ARTICLES