David Ricardo：On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, Excerpt 268

The exchanges between countries are at par only, whilst they have precisely that quantity of currency which in the actual situation of things they should have to carry on the circulation of their commodities. If the trade in the precious metals were perfectly free, and money could be exported without any expense whatever, the exchanges could be no otherwise in every country than at par. If the trade in the precious metals were perfectly free, if they were generally used in circulation, even with the expenses of transporting them, the exchange could never in any of them deviate more from par, than by these expenses. These principles I believe are now no where disputed. If a country used paper money not exchangeable for specie, and therefore not regulated by any fixed standard, the exchanges in that country might deviate as much from par, as its money might be multiplied beyond that quantity which would have been allotted to it by general commerce, if the trade in money had been free, and the precious metals had been used, either for money, or for the standard of money.

Source： https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33310
Locator：Excerpt 268 · Verified：2026-10-19 · Verification：Short excerpt

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