Table of Contents
Abstract

Jacob Frederico Torlade Pereira de Azambuja was the Portuguese chargé d'affaires in the United States from 1829-1834. His essay on the monetary system of Portugal was presented to the American Philosophical Society in October 1833, and was read at the meeting of Oct. 18. Written in Portuguese, the essay deals with one of the burning issues of the Jacksonian era, the money system, by examining the history of coinage and the money system in Portgual from the earliest times.

Background note

Jacob Frederico Torlade Pereira de Azambuja was the Portuguese chargé d'affaires in the United States from 1829-1834.

Scope and content

Torlade d'Azambuja's essay on the monetary system of Portugal was presented to the American Philosophical Society in October 1833, and was read at the meeting of October 18. Written in Portuguese, the essay deals with one of the burning issues of the Jacksonian era, the money system, by examining the history of coinage and the money system in Portgual from the earliest times. Peter Stephen Du Ponceau translated the chapter titles as follows:

  1. On money in general, p.1
  2. On the value of the mark of gold and silver, at the different epochs of the Portuguese monarchy, p.6
  3. On the Portguese monies the knowledge of which is most important to the subject of which we treat, p.25
  4. Of copper coin, p.63
  5. Solutions of problems which prove in part the utility of this memoir..., p.70
  6. Of the value and coinage of money, considered in relation to national wealth, p.108
  7. Of the increase of specie currency, considered in relation to national wealth, p.135
  8. Conclusion -- On the general subject considered in this memoir, p.154

The letter of presentation (in French) from Azambuja to Du Ponceau, Oct. 15, 1833, is tipped into the front of the volume, along with a brief summary of the contents of the paper, in English, in Du Ponceau's hand.

Collection information

Provenance

Gift of the author, October 1833.

Preferred citation

Cite as: Jacob Frederico Torlade Pereira de Azambuja, Memoria sobre o valor das moedas, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Recatalogued rsc, April 2003.

Early American History Note

This bound volume contains an essay Jacob Frederico Torlade Pereira de Azambuja presented to the American Philosophical Society in 1833. Jacob Azambuja was the Portuguese charge d’ affaires in the United States from 1829-1834. The essay describes the monetary history and system of Portugal. Presented after Andrew Jackson’s election, banking and currency were important political topics at the time. This essay likely reflects the growing interest APS members had in the subject and in understanding alternative systems to the United States. The essay can offer insight into prevalent European ideas about currency and may offer insight into how these ideas may have influenced how Americans thought about reforming their system.

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