A Cultural History of Money in the Medieval Age 2

"Money provides a unique and illuminating perspective on the Middle Ages. In much of medieval Europe the central meaning of money was a prescribed unit of precious metal but in practice precious metal did not necessarily change hands and indeed coinage was very often in short supply. Money had economic, institutional, social, and cultural dimensions which developed the legacy of antiquity and set the scene for modern developments including the rise of capitalism and finance as well as a moralized discourse on the proper and improper uses of money. In its many forms - coin, metal, commodity, and concept - money played a central role in shaping the character of medieval society and, in turn, offers a vivid reflection of the distinctive features of medieval civilization. Drawing upon a wealth of visual and textual sources, A Cultural History of Money in the Medieval Age presents essays that examine key cultural case studies of the period on the themes of technologies, ideas, ritual and religion, the everyday, art and representation, interpretation, and the issues of the age."-- Provided by publisher A Cultural History of Money presents an authoritative survey from ancient times to the present. The set of six volumes charts how money has made the world go around over four millennia and how its multiple materialities and meanings have shaped, and been shaped by, the broader social and cultural world around it. 1. A Cultural History of Money in Antiquity (2500 BCE-500 CE) 2. A Cultural History of Money in the Medieval Age (500-1400) 3. A Cultural History of Money in the Renaissance (1400-1680) 4. A Cultural History of Money in the Age of Enlightenment (1680-1820) 5. A Cultural History of Money in the Age of Empire (1820-1920) 6. A Cultural History of Money in the Modern Age (1920-present) Each volume discusses the same themes in its chapters: 1. Money and its Technologies 2. Money and its Ideas 3. Money and Religion 4. Money and the Everyday 5. Money and Art (or Visual Representations) 6. Money and its Interpretation (or Verbal Representations) 7. Money and the Issues of the Age This structure offers readers a broad overview of a period within each volume or the opportunity to follow a theme through history by reading the relevant chapter across volumes. The full six-volume set, which is generously illustrated, combines to present the most authoritative and comprehensive survey available on money in history List of Illustrations vii Notes on Contributors x Series Preface xii Introduction: Approaching Medieval Money / Rory Naismith 1 1. Money and Its Technologies: The 'Principles of Minting' in the Middle Ages / Oliver Volckart 15 2. Money and Its Ideas: Payment Methods in the Middle Ages / Laurent Feller 37 3. Money, Ritual, and Religion: Economic Value between Theology and Administration / Giacomo Todeschini 57 4. Money and the Everyday: Whose Currency? / Richard Kelleher 79 5. Money, Art, and Representation: The Powerful and Pragmatic Faces of Medieval Coinage / Rebecca R. Darley 99 6. Money and Its Interpretation: Attitudes to Money in the 'Societas Christiana' / Svein H. Gullbekk 125 7. Money and the Issues of the Age: The Plurality of Money / Rory Naismith 151 Notes 173 Bibliography 177 Index 207