Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Speculation
(1,051 words)

1. Survey

We can speak of speculation when the purchase or sale of an item represents an attempt to exploit a temporary price differential. In this sense, there is a certain element of speculation in every commercial transaction, but the speculator differs from the merchant in being concerned primarily with driving prices higher [6]. In speculation, furthermore, the consumer, producer, and dealer modify their behavior in expectation of a price change …

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North, Michael, “Speculation”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 27 September 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_027770>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20180208



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