Asientos as sinews of war in the composite superpower of the 16th century
详细分析西班牙腓力二世与热那亚商人银行家签订的阿斯恩托合同，揭示商人银行家如何将分散收入转化为稳定现金流以支持军队，并说明合同为双方提供的灵活性和法律保障。
Abstract The full analysis of the text of a contract, asiento, between Philip II of Spain and a Genoese merchant–banker details how in this pre-modern composite state, merchant–bankers acted as agents of the Crown who gathered many scattered sources of income to the Crown and transformed them into large and regular cash flows, mesadas, for the army. Because of the uncertain availability of these sources, the contract provided flexibility to both parties and legal assistance to the banker who reported to accountants for audit and, if necessary, the charge of an interest at about 1 percent per month.