Shades of Sovereignty: Money and the Making of the State

Paul Wilson's book explores the role of money in the creation of the state, tracing monetary systems from the early modern era to the present day. He challenges the notion that each country must have its own currency and argues for a more rational attitude toward money as a facilitator of transactions rather than a symbol of national identity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 20 February 2023
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The book explores the role of money in the creation of the state, tracing its history from the early modern era to the present day. It examines the monetary systems of empires and new states in the age of nation-building in the eighteenth and nineteenth century, spanning a wide geographical and historical range. The author analyzes the decision-making of newly independent states in their choice of an appropriate currency, considering the complex factors involved, such as economic, security, international recognition, and nationalism. He challenges the notion that each country must necessarily have its own currency and explains why some newly independent countries have chosen to adopt the currency of another state. Wilson argues for a more rational attitude toward money as a facilitator of transactions rather than as a symbol of national identity. He cites the examples of international currency unions of the nineteenth century and the present day to support his argument.

Weight: 417g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538156926