<Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations . Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations . (May 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) </Td> </Tr> <P> The silver trade between the Americas and Europe and onward to China from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries (1500--1800) had a profound effect on the world economy . The silver trade could also be considered the beginning of a global economy . </P> <P> Spaniards traveling west discovered vast amounts of silver which fueled their trade economy . One of their greatest findings was the Potosí silver mines . Potosí's deposits were rich and Spanish American silver mines were the world's cheapest sources of silver . By the end of the 18th century, more than 150,000 tons of silver would be shipped from Potosí alone . From 1500 to 1800 Mexico and Peru produced about 80% of the world's silver with 30% of it eventually ending up in China . In the late 16th and early 17th century, Japan was also exporting heavily into China and the foreign trade . The Spanish acquired the silver, using it as a means of purchase which landed it mainly in the hands of the British, who then used it to purchase the exotic commodities of China . </P>

Compare the role of spain england and china in shaping the global silver trade