seigniorage

plural seigniorages · alternative seignorage · alternative seigneurage

1. historicalAll the revenue obtained by a feudal lord from his vassals.

   I will tell you. First, he comes regularly to take his rights of seigniorage, his rents, his taxes, his fourths of all the produce of his vineyards and arable lands on our Côte d'Or.

   1895, John Bloundelle-Burton, In the Day of Adversity

2. businessThe revenue obtained directly by minting coin (difference between face value and cost of metal).

   The old kingly prerogative of altering the coinage was taken away, the unit of the currency was declared definite and unchangeable, and the seigniorage on minting was abolished.

   1896, William Arthur Shaw, History of Currency, 1252 to 1896

   2 more examples

   If Government, however, throws the expense of coinage, as is reasonable, upon the holder, by making a charge to cover the expense (which is done by giving back rather less in coin than has been received in bullion, and is called levying a seigniorage), the coin will rise, to the extent of the seigniorage, above the value of the bullion.

   1848, John Stuart Mill, chapter VI, in Principles of Political Economy: With Some of Their Applications to Social Philosophy. […], volume II, London: John W[illiam] Parker, […], →OCLC, book III (Exchange), page 25

   As a result of the lower than expected production, the mint has halved the amount it provides to government coffers through seigniorage, which is the difference between the face value of a coin sold to the banks and its cost of production.

   2019 November 4, Sarah Martin, “Rise of cashless society sees coin sales plummet for Royal Australian Mint”, in The Guardian

3. businessThe revenue obtained by the difference between interest earned on securities acquired in exchange for bank notes and the costs of producing and distributing those notes.