A Handbook of Foreign Trade

International trade has been one of the primary factors in the development of the modern world economy. The trend towards greater foreign trade was already well established by the 1820s and its growth was enabled by the activities of "cambists", the name given to those skilled in exchange, especially in foreign currencies. The creation of a ready market in different national currencies both facilitated cross-border trade and anticipated the development of foreign exchange markets. Kelly's "Universal Cambist" is a source for anyone trying to understand the rise of international trade in the 19th century. This reprint is of the 2nd edition, to which the three Supplements of 1835 have been added. Designed as a comprehensive and practical work of reference, the volumes include: details of the banking systems of the major trading countries; full details of currencies, both paper money and gold and silver coinage; full accounts of the different systems of weights and measures applied to major commodities; accounts of the credit systems and the evolution of new financial instruments in each of the major financial centres; and a glossary explaining commerical terms.
The geographical coverage extends to all countries actively trading in the 1820s including the European powers, their colonies and the United States. There is even brief section dealing with Japan. Patrick Kelly was a mathematician and an astronomer. The "Cambist" was his most important work, and remains a source for anyone seeking to understand the operations of international trade in the first half of the 19th century.