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November 9, 1994

Bank of Canada Review - Autumn 1994

BoC Review - Autumn 1994/Revue BdC - Automne 1994

Cover page

Roman Republic: Denarius, 108–107 BC

To the left of the figure is the name of the moneyer M. Herenni (Marcus Herennius), and to the right is the control mark, a horizontal P and dot. About the size of a 10-cent piece, this denarius is part of the National Currency Collection, Bank of Canada.

Photography by James Zagon.

November 8, 1994

The demand for currency and the underground economy

The underground economy in Canada has attracted increased attention over the past few years, yet there is no precise way to measure its size. Recent estimates vary between 4 per cent and 15 per cent of gross domestic product. This article provides an overview of measurement issues and recent estimates. It then focusses on the "monetary" approach to estimating the size of the underground economy. This approach is based on the assumption that the demand for bank notes provides a clue as to the size of the underground economy. The article concludes that estimates that use this approach must be viewed with considerable caution. They are based on a number of assumptions that are difficult to verify and that significantly affect the results.

Gordon Thiessen

Gordon Thiessen served as the 6th Governor of the Bank of Canada from February 1, 1994 to January 31, 2001.

John Crow

John Crow served as the 5th Governor of the Bank of Canada from February 1, 1987 to February 1, 1994.

Gerald Bouey

Gerald Bouey served as the 4th Governor of the Bank of Canada from February 1, 1973 to February 1, 1987.

Louis Rasminsky

Louis Rasminsky served as the 3rd Governor of the Bank of Canada from July 1961 to February 1, 1973.
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