Abstract

JUNGUITO, Roberto. Manuel de Pombo: Pioneer of an Autonomous Central Bank during Independence. Ens. polit. econ. [online]. 2012, vol.30, n.spe67, pp.104-127. ISSN 0120-4483.

This article provides an account of the responsible, independent position held by Manuel de Pombo, an accountant and later director of the national mint (la Casa de la Moneda) in Santa Fe de Bogotá during Colombian Independence. De Pombo refused to yield to the demands of Antonio Nariño, then President of the Sovereign State of Cundinamarca, to reduce the gold content of coins as an excise tax without the full knowledge and consent of Congress and the people. De Pombo’s steadfast stance regarding the safekeeping of the nation´s reserves, as well as his defense of the currency’s purchasing power, led to his dismissal as the director of the national mint in 1813. In recognition of de Pombo’s solid economic reasoning, this paper reviews his outstanding contribution as a pioneering advocate for an autonomous central bank during Independence. This historical essay falls into the subject category of currency valuation during the period of Colombian Independence.

Keywords : currency valuation; Colombian Independence.

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