Score contribution per author:
α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count
We examine UK debt management using a new monthly dataset on the quantity and market price of every individual bond issued by the government since 1694. Our bond-by-bond dataset identifies variations in the market value of debt and so captures investors' one-period holding returns, which is the cost of debt management in the government's intertemporal budget constraint. We find a substantial cost advantage in favor of issuing short bonds, even when considering some of the operational risks implied by cash flows and gross redemptions.