Coinage tax in the Kingdom of Navarre (circa. 1243-1355): taxation, demography, monetary history

Abstract

Like the other princes of Western Christianity, the Navarrese monarchs of the “foreign” dynasties exercised their right to produce coins and obtained the benefits derived from doing so, but they had to try to keep the currency stable and avoid fraudulent alterations to the values of precious metal alloys. The waiving of the “right” to possible mutations was compensated for by applying for a cash tax from their subjects: coinage tax.  According to the supposed tradition and customs of the land, the right of those Kings “from foreign lands and of foreign tongue” to mint coins was forcibly –by oath- limited to the length of their reigns...