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Article: To bank or not to bank: Edward Smith Hall on free trade and the commodification of money in early New South Wales (1).
- Article from:
- Journal of Australian Studies
- Article date:
- September 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 University of Queensland Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The establishment of a uniform and widely accepted currency in New South Wales took many years and many attempts. From the infamous use of rum as currency, to the introduction of the famous 'holey' dollar and the widespread use of promissory notes, the topic of money caused much controversy and much conversation in the new colony. This article examines the issue through the eyes of Edward Smith Hall, a man who had much to say about many aspects of life in New South Wales and who published his thoughts regularly in the Sydney Monitor, a newspaper he edited from 1826 until 1840. In the case of the currency debates, Hall spoke from personal experience, as he had a background ...