seigniorage

noun

sei·gnior·age | \ ˈsān-yə-rij

How to pronounce seigniorage (audio)

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variants: or seignorage

Definition of seigniorage

: a government revenue from the manufacture of coins calculated as the difference between the face value and the metal value of the coins

Examples of seigniorage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Indeed, there is likely a Laffer curve for seigniorage. — WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: Gregory Mankiw on Modern Monetary Theory," 14 Jan. 2020 This right to earn seigniorage, as it is called, is worth a lot, even if their money-printing is constrained by the need to keep inflation in check. — The Economist, "Narendra Modi’s government dips into central-bank reserves," 29 Aug. 2019 All interest is diverted to the companies backing Libra’s governing body, while holders of Libra itself earn nothing—giving the founders profits akin to the seigniorage made by central banks. — James Mackintosh, WSJ, "Facebook’s Libra Is a License to Print Money," 23 June 2019 Shares, which fluctuate in value, entitle the owner to a share of the system's future seigniorage profits. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Basis—the “stable” cryptocurrency with $133 million invested—explained," 25 Apr. 2018 Another benefit, supporters say, is that the SNB would earn more seigniorage fees. — Brian Blackstone, WSJ, "Swiss Central Bank Denounces Proposal to Ban Money Creation by Banks," 3 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seigniorage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Seigniorage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seigniorage. Accessed 7 Mar. 2021.

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