This short paper sets out how leaving a monetary union is not the technical impossibility many have recently claimed. It has been done often in the past, and while possibly uncomfortable can be the best available option. Examples are given

We review the history of international monies and the theory related to their adoption and use. There are four key characteristics of these currencies: high unitary value; relatively low inflation rates for long periods; issuance by major economic and trading powers; and spontaneous, as opposed...

The economics of international monies is likely to be informative about the future of the euro. The authors summarize the history of international monies, from the gold solidus introduced in the fourth century to the present. They identify four common characteristics of these currencies: high...

The authors review the history of international monies and the theory related to their adoption and use. There are four key characteristics of these currencies: high unitary value; relatively low inflation rates for long periods; issuance by major economic and trading powers; and spontaneous, as...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of international monies and the theory related to their adoption and use. We summarize the history of international monies, beginning with a discussion of the gold solidus introduced in the fourth century by the Emperor Constantine, continuing...

The promise of greater material prosperity and economic convergence has underpinned the process of European economic integration. Its consequences for income inequalities within countries, however, have so far been little discussed. This paper seeks to contribute to the literature by...

How does international monetary leadership end? This paper examines the decline of the Sterling Area between 1945 and 1979 to understand the process of international economic disintegration. Using an original cross-national panel dataset, we conduct survival analysis which systematically...

I. Introduction II. The Pre-Eminence of the Dollar III. The Fate of the Gold Standard IV. Currency Areas and Currency Unions V. The Importance of Monetary Rules VI. Monetary Arrangements in Free Trade Areas and Customs Unions VII. Central Banks, Dollarization and the Maastricht Conditions VIII....

An extensive literature praises economic integration and monetary unions as powerful means for economic convergence between, and the growth of, nations. Several potential factors have been flagged for successful economic convergence, such as labor availability and mobility and the role of...