The Origins of English Financial Markets: Investment and Speculation Before the South Sea BubbleThe late seventeenth century was a crucial period in English financial history. A host of joint stock companies emerged offering the opportunity for investment in projects ranging from the manufacture of paper to the search for sunken treasure. Driven by the demands of the Nine Years' War, the state also employed innovative tactics to attract money, its most famous scheme being the incorporation of the Bank of England. This book provides a