The supply of meat and salt in Coimbra: the city’s hall contracts of obligation (1641-1721)

Abstract

This paper intends to study the supply of meat and salt in Coimbra between 1641 and 1721, through the analysis of the obligation contracts, currently in the custody of Municipal Historical Archive of Coimbra. Considering the political and economic conjunctures, the general aim of this article is to examine the structure of the contracts and its evolution over time, the guarantees that were given to the bidders and their obligations; the intervention of the city hall in supply, through the obligation of sale, price fixing and creation of monopolies; the evolution of the quantities required for supply and the evolution of market prices; finally, what was the profile of the bidders, partners and bailsman, and how their professional activities complemented the exercise of supply.