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George Selgin: Discount on northern bank notes in NYC or Chicago was under 1 percent by Civil War onset

George Selgin: Discount on northern bank notes in NYC or Chicago was under 1 percent by Civil War onset
Historical bank note discounts disputed

George Selgin disputes the accuracy of the widely cited 60 percent discount figure applied to northern bank notes during the period leading up to the U.S. Civil War.

Instead, Selgin states that by the onset of the conflict, the typical discount on notes from operating northern banks in New York City or Chicago was less than 1 percent. He clarifies that such a high discount would have only applied to notes from banks that had already failed.

Selgin has previously challenged assertions about the historical impact of government policy, including questioning claims that the Social Security Administration ended the U.S. Great Depression. In a separate analysis, he discussed how government guarantees can reduce the need for equity cushions in financial intermediaries. These topics reflect Selgin’s ongoing focus on interpreting historical financial data and policy.

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