Great Wave

by Fischer, David Hackett;

  W. S. Atwell, “Notes on Silver, Foreign Trade, and the Late Ming Economy,” Ch’ing shih wen-ti” 3 (1977) 1–33; idem, “International Bullion Flows and the Chinese Economy, circa 1530–1650,” Past & Present 95 (1982) 68–90.

  P. Liu and K. Huang, “Population Change and Economic Development in Mainland China since 1400,” in C. Hou and T. Yu, eds., Modern Chinese Economic History (Taipei, 1977), 61–81.

  Yeh-chien Wang, “The Secular Trend of Prices during the Ch’ing Period,” Journal of the Institute of Chinese Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong 5 (1972) 364, covers the period 1644–1912.

  Nankai University Committee on Social and Economic Research, Wholesale Prices and Price Index Numbers in North China, 1913 to 1929 (Tientsin, 1929).

  Franklin L. Ho, Index Numbers of the Quantities and Prices of Imports and Exports and the Barter Terms of Trade in China, 1867–1928 (Tientsin, 1930).

  L. L. Chang, “Farm Prices in Wuchin, Kangsu, China,” Chinese Economic Journal 10 (1932) 449–512.

  Hsin Ying, Price Problems of Communist China (Kowloon, 1963).

  Congo (Democratic Republic)

  The leading work is Leon H. Dupriez et al., Diffusion du progres et convergence des prix; études internationales; le cas Congo-belgique, 1900–1960; la formation du systeme des prix et salaires dans une economie dualiste (2 vols., Louvain 1966–70).

  Cuba

  Susan Schroeder, Cuba: A Handbook of Historical Statistics (Boston, 1982), includes prices.

  Czechoslovakia

  Stanislas Hoszowski, “L’Europe centrale devant la révolution des prix,” Annales E.S.C. 16 (1961) 441–56, cites studies by J. Janacek, A. Mika, and J. Novotny which I have not seen.

  Denmark

  A general work of exceptionally high quality is Astrid Friis and Kristof Glamann, A History of Prices and Wages in Denmark, 1660–1800 (Copenhagen and London, 1958), vol. 1 only published to date. It is based on assizes and price currents in Copenhagen.

  Two pioneering projects by Danish economists are William Scharling, Pengenes synkende Vaerdi (Copenhagen, 1869); and idem and V. FalbeHansen, Danmarks Statistik (6 vols., Copenhagen, 1878–91).

  A. Nielsen, “Dänische Preise, 1650–1750,” in Jahrbuch für Nationalökonomie und Statistik 31 (1906) 289–347.

  L. Rumur, “Assessed Average Market Prices and the Prices of Cereal Grains in Denmark, 1600–1850,” Scandinavian Economic History Review 18 (1970) 33–65.

  For later periods, see Jorgen Pedersen and O. Strange Petersen, An Analysis of Price Behaviour during the Period 1855–1913 (Copenhagen and London, 1938); Jorgen Pedersen, Arbejdsønnen i Danmark under skiftende Konjunkturer, c. 1850–1913 (Copenhagen, 1913), a history of wages in Denmark; and K. Bjerke and N. Ussing, Studier over Danmarks National Produkt, 1870–1950 (Copenhagen, 1958).

  A methodological work with particular attention to Danish materials is P. Thestrup, The Standard of Living in Copenhagen, 1730–1800: Some Methods of Measurement (Copenhagen, 1971).

  Finland

  “Markegangspris i Finland 1731–1870,” [Market Prices in Finland] Statistika Oversitkter (1926). I have not been able to find this work in American libraries.

  France: General Studies

  Vicomte Georges d’Avenel, Histoire économique de la proprieté, des salaires, des denrées, et tous les prix en général depuis l’ an 1200 jusqu’ en l’ an 1800 (7 vols., Paris, 1894–1926), an immense compilation, much criticized by academic price historians. Jörberg writes in his great history of Swedish prices, “D’Avenel’s enormous collection of material is considered today to be almost worthless, since prices are assembled from widely different sources and widely separated geographical areas.” (p. 4).

  Nevertheless, many of d’ Avenel’s descriptive findings have been confirmed by subsequent work, and he is still worth reading for his interpretative insights, grace, good humor, ripe learning, and especially for a knowledge of men and the world that is often missing in works of higher technical proficiency. D’ Avenel also published Les enseignements de l’ histoire des prix (Paris, 1925) and Histoire de la fortune française: la fortune privée à travers sept siècles (Paris, 1927).

  A critique of d’Avenel’s work appears in René Jouanne, Les monographes normandes et l’ histoire des prix (Caen, 1931). A critique of the critique is Lucien Febvre, “Chiffres faux, courbes vraies?” Annales d’Histoire Économique et Sociale 4 (1932) 585–86, a title that succinctly summarizes the weaknesses and strengths of d’ Avenel’s work.

  Abbott Payson Usher, “The General Course of Wheat Prices in France: 1350–1788,” Review of Economic Statistics 12 (1930) 159–69; this essay was a statistical supplement to the same author’s The History of the Grain Trade in France, 1400–1710 (Cambridge, 1913).

  François Simiand, Recherches anciennes et nouvelles sur le mouvement général des prix du XVIe au XIXe siécle (Paris, 1932); other works by Simiand are listed below.

  C. E. Labrousse, Esquisse du mouvement des prix et des revenus en France au XVIIIe siècle (2 vols., Paris, 1933); La crise de l’ économie française à la fin de l’ ancien régime et au début de la Révolution (Paris, 1944), still the indispensable work on the price revolution of the eighteenth century; idem, Ruggiero Romano, and F.-G. Dreyfus, Leprix dufroment en France au temps de la monnaie stable (1726–1913) (Paris, 1970), includes data on Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy during periods of French occupation.

  Henri Hauser, Recherches et documents sur l’ histoire des prix en France de 1500 à 1800 (Paris, 1936).

  A. Chabert, Essai sur les mouvements des prix et des revenus en France de 1798 à 1820 (Paris, 1945); idem, Essai sur les mouvements des revenus et l’ activité économique en France de 1798 à 1820 (Paris, 1949).

  Jean Fourastié, Documents pour l’ histoire et la theorie des prix: Series statistiques réunies et élaborées (Paris, 1958).

  J. Marczewski and J. C. Toutain, Histoire quantitative de l’ économie française (2 vols., Paris, 1961), covers the period 1700–1958.

  France: Local Studies

  [Alsace] A. C. Hanauer, Études économiques sur l’Alsace ancienne et modern (2 vols., Paris, 1876–78).

  [Anjou] Victor Dauphin, Recherche pour servir à l’ histoire des prix des céréales et du vin en Anjou sous l’ ancien régime (Paris, 1934).

  [Berry] F. Gay, “Production, prix et renaitabilité de terre en Berry au XVIIIe siècle,” Revue d’Histoire Économique et Sociale 36 (1958) 399–411.

  [Beziers] Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie, Les Paysans de Languedoc (2 vols., Paris, 1966), with price series on 2:820–22.

  [Châteaudun] A. de Belfort, “Prix moyen des grains vendus sur le marché de Châteaudun depuis l’année 1583,” Bulletin de la Societé Dunoise 1 (1864–69) 161–70.

  [Douai] Monique Mestayer, “Les prix du blé et de l’ avoine à Douai de 1329 à 1793,” Revue du Nord 45 (1963) 157–76.

  [Forèze] Vicomte de Meaux, “Note sur le cours des céréales en Forèze de 1363 à 1698,” Bulletin de la Societé de la Diana, 11 (1899–1900).

  [Gâtinais] Leopold Nottin, Recherches sur les variations des prix dans la Gâtinais du XVIe au XIXe siècle (Paris, 1935).

  [Marseilles] Ruggiero Romano, Commerce et prix du blé a Marseille au XVIIIe siècle (Paris, 1956).

  [Montdidier] V. de Beauville, Histoire de la ville de Montdidier (3 vols., Paris, 1857).

  [Orleans] P. Mantellier, “Mémoire sur la valeur des principales denrées et marchandises qui se vendaient ou se consommaient en la ville d’Orléans au cours des XIVe, XVe, XVIe, XVIIe, et XVIIIe siècles,” Mémoires de la Societé Archeologique et Historique de l’Orléans 5 (1862) 103–496.

  [Paris] Micheline Baulant, “Le prix des grains à Paris de 1431 à 1789,” Annales E.S.C. 23 (1968) 537–40.

  [Paris] Jeanne Singer-Kérel, Le coût de la vie à Paris de 1840 à 1954 (Paris, 1961).

  [Picardy] P. Deyon, Contribution à l’ étude des revenus fonciers en Picardie, lesfermages de l’ Hotel-Dieu d’
Amiens et leurs variations de 1515 à 1789 (Lille, 1967).

  [Poitiers] Duffaud, Note sur le prix des grains à Poitiers depuis trois siècles (Paris, 1861)

  [Poitou] P. Raveau, Essai sur la situation économique et l’ état social en Poitou, au XVIe siècle (Paris, 1931); idem, “La crise des prix au XVIe siècle en Poitou,” Revue Historique 54 (1929) 1–44, 168–93.

  [Provence] René Baehrel, Une croissance: La Basse-Provence rurale (fin XVIe siècle-1789) (2 vols., Paris, 1961).

  [Toulouse] Georges Frêche and Geneviève Frêche, Lex prix des grains, des vins et des légumes à Toulouse (1486–1868: Extraits des mercuriales suivis d’ une bibliographie d’ histoire des prix (Paris, 1967).

  [Valenciennes] G. Sivery, “L’évolution du prix du blé à Valenciennes,” Revue du Nord 17 (1965) 177–94.

  Other local studies of prices in France are listed in bibliographies to Frêche and Frêche, cited for [Toulouse] above; and Labrousse, Esquisse, pp. 5 (note 4), 11-12 (note 17), 650–64.

  Germany: General Studies

  L. Keller, “Zur Geschichte der Preisbewegung in Deutschland während der Jahre 1466–1525,” Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik 34 (1879) 181–207.

  Georg Wiebe, Zur Geschichte der Preisrevolution des XVI und XVII Jahrhunderts (1894, Leipzig, 1895).

  J. Hansen, Beiträdge zur Geschichte des Gretreidehandels der Freien und Hansestadt (Lübeck, 1912).

  Moritz J. Elsas, Umriss eine Geschichte der Preise und Löhne in Deutschland vom ausgehenden Mittelalter bis zum Beginn des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts (2 vols. in 3, Leiden, 1936–49), the standard work.

  A. Jacobs and H. Richter, “Die Grosshandelpreise in Deutschland von 1792 bis 1934,” Sonderhefte des Institute fur Konjunkturforschung, no. 37 (Berlin, 1935).

  Gerd Hohorst et al. Materialien zur Statistik des Kaiserreichs, 1870–1914 (Munich, 1975).

  G. Bry, Wages in Germany, 1871–1945 (Princeton, 1960).

  H. Wiese, “Der Rinderhandel im Nordwesteuropaischen Kustenggebiet vom Beginn des 19 Jahrhunderts” (dissertation, Gottingen, 1963).

  Germany: Local Studies

  [Alsace] A. C. Hanauer, Études économiques sur l’Alsace ancienne et modern (2 vols., Paris, 1876–78).

  [Berlin] W. Naude and A. Skalweig, Die Getreidehandelspolitik… Acta Borussica (Berlin, 1896, 1910).

  [Brunswick] An original series from primary data appears in Abel, Agrarkrisen und Agrarkonjunktur, appendix.

  [Chemnitz] Rudolph Strauss, “Löhne und Preise in Deutschland, 1750 bis 1850,” Jahrbuch fur Wirtschaftsgeschichte (1963) 1:189–219; 2:212–36; 3:257–64; 4:263–80; (1964) 1:271–80; 4:307–17; (1965) 1:233–49.

  [Cologne] Dietrich Ebeling and Franz Irsigler, Getreideumsatz, Getreide-und Brotpreise in Köln, 1369–1797 (Cologne, 1976); Franz Irsigler, Kölner Wirtschaft im Spätmittelalter, Zwei Jahrtausende Kölner Wirtschaft (Cologne, 1975).

  [Gottingen, etc.] H. Kullak-Ublick, Die Wechsellagen und Entwicklung der Landwirtschaft im südlichen Niedersachen vom 15 bis 18 Jahrhundert (Göttingen, 1953).

  [Halle] J. Conrad, “Die Preisentwicklung der gewöhnlichsten Nährungsmittel in Halle a/S von 1731–1878,” Jahrbücher fur Nationalokonomie und Statistik 34 (1879) 83–180.

  [Kaisers werth] C. Bone, “Frucht-, Fleisch- und Brotpreise in der Stadt Kaisers werth,” Beiträge zur Geschichte die Niederrheins 5 (1890) 154–60.

  [Leipzig] O. Dittmann, Die Getreidepreise in der Stadt. Leipzig im 17., 18. und 19. Jahrhundert (Leipzig, 1889); E. E. Koehler, “Haushaltsrechnungen des Georgenhauses zu Leipzig; Preise, Löhne …” Jahrbuch für Wirtschafts-Geschichte (1967), 4:347–409.

  [Mainz] Francois G. Dreyfus, “Beitrag zu den Preisbewegungen im Oberrheingebiet im 18 Jahrhundert,” Vierteljahrshrift für Sozial und Wirtschaftsgeschichte 47 (1960) 245–56.

  [Mannheim] E. Hofmann, “Die Milchpreis in Mannheim,” Jahrbuch für Nationalökonomie und Statistik 108 (1917) 639–43; also “Die Eierpreise in Mannheim,” ibid. 109 (1917) 69–76; and “Die Salzpreise in Mannheim …,” ibid,. 111 (1918) 591–605.

  [Meissen] H. E. Pietzsch, Wechsellagen der Landwirtschaft im Amte Meissen während des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts (Gottingen, 1950).

  [Munich] M. J. Elsas, “Price Data from Munich, 1500–1700,” Economic Journal Supplement 3 (1934–37).

  [Ostfriesland] O. Aden, “Entwicklung und Wechsellagen ausgewählter Gewerbe in Ostfriesland von der Mitte des 18. bis zum Ausgang des 19. Jahrhunderts” (thesis, Gottingen, 1963); partly published in Abhandlungen und Vorträge zur Geschichte Ostfrieslands 40 (1964).

  [Prussia] U. Eggert, “Die Bewegung der Holzpreise und Tagelohnsätze in der preussischen Staats forsten von 1800–1879,” Zeitschrift der Königlich Preussische Statistiche Bureau 23 (1883).

  [Quedlinberg] Willi Schulz, “Löhne und Preise 1750 bis 1850 nach den Akten und Rechnungsbelegen des Stadtarchivs Quedlinberg,” Jahrbuch für Wirtschaftsgeschichte (1967), 4:347–409.

  [Saxony] Johannes Falke, “Geschichtliche Statistik der Preise im Königreich Sachsen,” Jahrbücher für Nationalökonomie und Statistik 13 (1869) 364–95; 16 (1871) 1–71.

  [Schleswig-Holstein] Emil Waschinski, Währung, Preisentwicklung und Kaufkraft des Geldes in Schleswig-Holstein von 1226–1864 (2 vols., Neumünster, 1952–59).

  Many other local German studies are listed in bibliographies to various editions of Abel, Agrarkrisen und Agrarkonjunktur, and in Jacobs, “Preisgeschichte,” cited above.

  Hungary

  I. N. Kiss, “Money, Prices, Values, and Purchasing Power from the Sixteenth to the Eightenth Century,” Journal of European Economic History 9 (1980).

  R. Horvath, “Monetary Inflation in Hungary during the Napoleonic Wars,” Journal of European Economic History 5 (1976); idem “The Interdependence of Economic and Demographic Development in Hungary (from the mid-eighteenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries),” in Proceedings of the Fourth International Economic History Conference, Bloomington, 1968 (Paris, 1973).

  L. Katus, “Economic Growth in Hungary during the Age of Dualism, 1867–1918, A Quantitative Analysis” Studia Historica 62 (1970)

  E. Pamlenyi, ed., Social-Economic Researches on the History of East Central Europe (Budapest, 1980)

  India

  J. J. Brennig, “Silver in Seventeenth-Century Surat: Money Circulation and the Price Revolution in Mughal India,” in John F. Richards, ed., Precious Metals in the Later Medieval and Early Modern World (Durham, 1983), 477–96.

  John F. Richards, ed., The Imperial Monetary System of Mughal India (Delhi, 1987).

  Aziza Hazan, “En Inde aux XVIe et XVIIe siècles: Trésors Américains, monnaie d’argent et prix dans l’empire Mogol,” Annales E.S.C. 24 (1969) 835–859, includes data from 1556 to 1705.

  India Department of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, Index Numbers of Indian Prices, 1861–1926 (Calcutta, 1928).

  Tirthankar Roy, “Price Movements in Early Twentieth-Century India,” Economic History Review 2d ser. 48 (1995) 118–33, includes price series from 1900 to 1933, and 1953 to 1987.

  Lakshini Narain, Price Movements in India, 1929–1957 (Meerut, 1957).

  David Singh, Inflationary Price Trends in India since 1939 (Bombay, 1957; 2d ed., New York, 1961).

  Ireland

  Edward Nevin, The Irish Price Level: A Comparative Study (Dublin, 1962).

  C. St. J. Oherlihy, A Statistical Study of Wages, Prices, and Employment in the Irish Manufacturing Sector (Dublin, 1966).

  Wm. E. Vaughan and André J. Fitzpatrick, Irish Historical Statistics, vol. 1, Population (Dublin, 1978); a subsequent volume is promised on Irish prices.

  Italy: General Studies

  V. Magaldi and R. Fabris, “Notizie storiche e statistiche sui prèzzi e salari nei secoli XIII-XVIII nelle cittá di Milano, Venezia, Genova, Firenze, Pisa, Lucca, Mantova e Forli,” Annali di Statistica 2d ser. 3 (1878) 5–106.

  Vittorio Franchini, Contributo alla storia dei prèzzi in Italia. Documenti economici del secolo XVIII (Roma, 1928); idem, Di tal
une neglette fonti per la ricostruzione dei valori delle cose all’inizio delle Signorie in Italia (Milan, 1928).

  Italy: Local and Regional Studies

  [Bari] Carlo Massa, “Il prèzzo del grano e dell’ orzo in Terra di Bari (1419–1727),” Atti dell’Accademia Pontaniana 38 (1908); idem, “I salari agricoli in Terra di Bari (1447–1733),” Atti dell’ Accademia Pontaninana 42 (1912); idem, “I salari di mestiere in Terra di Bari dal 1449 al 1732,” Giornale degli Economisti 42 (1911) 553–76; idem, “Costo dei trasporti in Terra di Bari (1542–1722),” Giornale degli economisti 55 (1917) 331–39; idem, I salari agricoli in Terra di Bari (1447–1733) (n.p., 1911); idem, Il prèzzo e il commercio degli oli d’ oliva di Gallipoli et Bari (Trani, 1897); idem, “Paghe di professionisti, d’impiegati e di cambii militari in Terra di Bari dal 1491 al 1715,” Cose di Puglia (Bari, 1911); idem, Bari nel secolo XVII (Bari, 1903); idem, La industria della pesce nella Provincia di Bari (Trani, 1900).

  [Bassano] Gabriele Lombardini, Pane e denaro a Bassano: Prèzzi del grano politica dell approvigionamento dei cereali tra il 1501 e il 1799 (Venice, 1963).

  [Florence] Giuseppi Parenti, Prime ricerche sulla rivoluzione dei prèzzi in Firenze (Florence, 1949).

  [Florence] Richard A. Goldthwaite, “I prèzzi del grano a Firenze dal XIV al XVI secolo,” Quaderni Storici 10 (1975) 5–36.

  [Genoa] Paolo Maria Arcari and Ettore Rossi, “I prèzzi a Genova dal XII al XV secolo,” La Vita Economica Italiana 2d ser. 8 (1933) 53–87.