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Concurrent but non-integrable currency circuits: complementary relationships among monies in modern China and other regions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2008

Akinobu Kuroda
Akinobu Kuroda
Affiliation:
University of Tokyokuroda@ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
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Abstract

The coexistence of a number of monies with fluctuating exchange rates in modern China and other Asian regions appeared chaotic to foreign observers. However, behind this apparently confused situation lay a multiplicity of currency circuits, each of which consisted of pairing a trade zone with a particular currency. Their concurrence resulted from the difference of temporality and space in monetary usage. The difficulty of matching heterogeneous demands for money to uneven supplies of currencies made for multiple currency circulation. Such a multiplicity caused some merchants to make use of imaginary units which were alive only in account books. Though complementary relationships between incompatible monies prevailed in China, India and other regions, a combination of a remittance system and local credit supply in some societies happened to synchronise currency streams to make a compatible monetary system. This comparative study suggests that currency streams often had to pass through multiple market layers, and that some friction in the streams meant that the market required plural monies.

Résumés

La coexistence d'un certain nombre de devises avec des taux de change fluctuant dans la Chine moderne et dans d'autres régions asiatiques a semblé chaotique aux observateurs étrangers. Il existe cependant derrière cette situation apparemment confuse une multiplicité de circuits de devises, chacun consistant à marier une zone commerciale avec une devise particulière. Leur concomitance résultait de la différence de temporalité et d'espace dans l'usage monétaire. La difficulté d'assortir les demandes hétérogènes d'argent aux réserves inégales de devises eut pour résultat la circulation de devises multiples. Une telle multiplicité a entraîné des marchands à utiliser des unités imaginaires qui n'existaient que dans les livres de comptes. Bien qu'en Chine, en Inde et dans d'autres régions des relations complémentaires prévalaient entre des devises incompatibles, il s'est trouvé qu'une combinaison du système de remise de fonds et de la fourniture de crédit local dans quelques sociétés a synchronisé les courants de devises pour en faire un système monétaire compatible. Cette étude comparative suggère que des courants de devise ont souvent eu à passer par des couches de marché multiples, et que des frictions dans certains courants ont impliqué la nécessité de devises diversifiées dans le marché.

Abstrakte

Die Koexistenz einer Reihe von Geldsorten mit fluktuierenden Wechselkursen im modernen China und anderen Regionen Asiens erschien ausländischen Beobachtern chaotisch. Hinter dieser auf den ersten Blick verwirrend wirkenden Situation verbarg sich jedoch eine Vielzahl an Währungskreisläufen, von denen ein jeder eine bestimmte Handelszone mit einer bestimmten Währung verband. Ihre gleichzeitige Existenz ergab sich aus den Unterschieden in zeitlicher und örtlicher Geldverwendung. Die Schwierigkeit, einen heterogenen Geldbedarf mit einer ungleichmäßigen Währungsversorgung in Einklang zu bringen, machte den Umlauf mehrerer Währungen erforderlich. Die dadurch bedingte Währungsvielfalt führte dazu, dass sich einige Händler imaginäre Währungseinheiten zunutze machten, die lediglich in den Rechnungsbüchern existierten. Obwohl die komplementären Beziehungen zwischen inkompatiblen Geldsorten in China, Indien und anderen Regionen die Oberhand behielten, so führte eine Kombination aus Überweisungssystemen und lokaler Kreditversorgung in einigen Gesellschaften zu einer Synchronisierung der Währungsströme und somit zu einem kompatiblen Währungssystem. Diese Vergleichsstudie legt nahe, dass Währungsströme oft multiple Marktschichten durchdringen mussten, und dass gewisse Spannungen innerhalb dieser Ströme es notwendig machten, dass der Markt mehrere Geldsorten erforderte.

Resúmenes

La coexistencia de diferentes monedas con cambios fluctuantes en la China moderna y otras regiones asiáticas parecía caótica a los observadores internacionales. Sin embargo, tras esta situación aparentemente confusa yacía una gran diversidad de circuitos monetarios, cada uno de los cuales consistía en emparejar una zona comercial con una moneda en concreto. Su concurrencia resultó de la diferencia temporal y espacial en uso monetario. La dificultad de adecuar demandas heterogéneas de dinero a suministros desiguales de monedas produjo la circulación monetaria múltiple. Tal diversidad hizo que algunos comerciantes hicieran uso de unidades imaginarias que sólo tenían vida en los libros de contabilidad. Aunque en China, India y otras regiones prevalecieron las relaciones compatibles, una combinación de sistema de pago y suministro de crédito local en algunas sociedades casualmente sincronizó corrientes monetarias para hacer un sistema monetario compatible. Este estudio comparativo sugiere que las corrientes monetarias a menudo tenían que pasar a través de múltiples capas del mercado, y que cierta fricción en las corrientes provocó que el mercado requiriera una pluralidad de monedas.

Type
Articles
Information
Financial History Review , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , April 2008 , pp. 17 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © European Association for Banking and Financial History 2008

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References

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37 Current institutional approaches put too much stress on reducing uncertainty to decrease transaction costs. D. C. North, Institutions and Institutional Change and Economic Performance (Cambridge, 1990), pp. 3-4.

38 Part of Figure A1 is modified from R. Ishiwata, Ryūtai Rikigaku Nyūmon (Introduction to fluid dynamics) (Tokyo, 2000), p. 101.