Discussion paper

DP10761 Back to Gold: Sterling in 1925

Expectations of Sterling returning to Gold have been disregarded in empirical work on the US dollar ? Sterling exchange rate in the early 1920s. We incorporate such considerations in a PPP model of the exchange rate, letting the probability of a return to gold follow a logistic function. We draw several conclusions: (i) the PPP model works well from spring 1919 to spring 1925; (ii) wholesale prices outperform consumer prices; (iii) allowing for a return to gold leads to a higher speed of adjustment of the exchange rate to PPP; (iv) interest rate differentials and the relative monetary base are crucial determinants of the expected return to gold; (v) the probability of a return to Gold peaked at about 72% in late 1924 and but fell to about 60% in early 1925; and (vi) our preferred model does not support the Keynes? view that Sterling was overvalued after the return to gold.

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Citation

Gerlach, S and P Kugler (2015), ‘DP10761 Back to Gold: Sterling in 1925‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 10761. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp10761