ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the reception of Ricardo in Italy, and his influence on the monetary debates of the nineteenth century, instead of dealing with his more famous contribution to the theory of value and distribution. It summarizes the main conclusions of Ricardo's theory which are relevant to the issues debated in Italy. The influence of Ricardo on the monetary debates in Italy in the nineteenth century is discussed in, with particular focus on the controversy in the late 1870s. Therefore, before reconstructing the Italian debates on monetary questions with the aim of assessing Ricardo's influence on them, it may be useful to recall some of the main conclusions of Ricardo's theory which are relevant to the issues under discussion. The chapter examines which of these ideas of Ricardo's the interpretation of a premium on bullion, the plan for a circulation entirely made of paper, the rules for the issue of banknotes entered into the debate in Italy.
