International mercantile networks and financial intermediation in nineteenth century Scania (Sweden). Foreign private capital imports and informal credit market imbalances

摘要

Estimates of informal credit markets in nineteenth century Sweden tend to indicate that debts were much more widespread than claims. If this is not just coincidental - however, these studies are statistically insignificant - further research needs to elucidate whether this is connected with direct private capital imports through regional cities by merchants, and whether they were intermediaries for mercantile credits to the agrarian sector. The outcome indicates a previously unnoticed importance of such capital imports. Credit market estimates from cities need be adjusted somewhat upwards. However, capital flows to the countryside obviously went through established retailers, not directly to farmers.