ifk Lecture: Miguel Llanos de la Guardia: Radical Transactions. Broken Coins, Silver Flows, and the Problem of Intercultural Translation in the Early Modern Pacific

Beginning in the late sixteenth century, vast amounts of silver flowed from the New World into Ming and later Qing China. In this context, Manila played a key mediating role. By connecting the mining areas of New Spain and Peru with Chinese markets, it permitted the circulation of wealth on an unprecedented scale.