Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T20:32:22.339Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

23 - Barter in fifteenth-century Genoa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2010

Get access

Summary

So imposing has been the work by Philip Grierson on coins and coinages that one might overlook the fact that he is the author of a very remarkable study demonstrating the prevalence in Dark Age Europe of forms of unilateral transfer, such as gift and robbery, which in those primitive and troubled societies substituted for exchanges. It is perhaps a paradox that it is this most eminent historian of money who has brought to the attention of his fellow historians the relevance of alternative practices favouring the elimination of money.

The article was not, however, the expression of an isolated idea. Those who have some familiarity with Philip Grierson's work know of his persistent interest in all forms of primitive exchange (that is, exchange without using money as a means of payment), as well as in all forms of primitive money (that is, means of exchange other than coins, paper money, or deposits). Thus it may not be irrelevant in a collection of essays in honour of Philip Grierson to comment upon a curious notarial document drawn up in Genoa on the 25th day of August 1481.

The document records the solemn agreement reached between the members of the College of Physicians of Genoa on the one part and the Chancellors of the Commune of Genoa on the other.

Type
Chapter
Information
Studies in Numismatic Method
Presented to Philip Grierson
, pp. 327 - 328
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1983

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×