Essay on the Brief History of International Monetary System
History of international monetary system is lengthy and complex. Here we shall describe only important features in chronological terms:i. Pre-First World War Gold Standard: A Fixed Exchange System. Under the gold standard, countries used gold standard as a medium of exchange and a store of value. ADVERTISEMENTS: During this era the exchange rate was stable. Prior to World War I, a country’s monetary unit was defined in terms of certain weight of gold. Image Source: fouman.comDuring this era London, a financial centre for 90 percent of world trade, dominated the international finance. Sterling was the sole reserve currency, as it was convertible into gold at the Bank of England. Interestingly the Bank of England had only two to three percent of gold backing to the actual money supply.ii. The two…