---
entity_slug: bullion_transportation_cost_advantage
evaluator: null
evaluated_at: '2026-02-23T04:39:06.235585'
overall_score: 4.2
scores:
- name: definition_precision
  value: 4.0
  max_value: 5.0
  rationale: The definition is precise and captures a distinct economic concept -
    the specific advantage of precious metals due to their high value-to-weight ratio
    making transportation economically efficient. It avoids circularity and clearly
    distinguishes this advantage from other properties of money or trade goods.
- name: source_grounding
  value: 5.0
  max_value: 5.0
  rationale: This concept is directly grounded in Smith's text where he explicitly
    discusses why gold and silver are preferred for international trade, emphasizing
    their small bulk relative to value as a key practical advantage. The entity accurately
    reflects Smith's reasoning about precious metals in foreign commerce.
- name: domain_placement
  value: 5.0
  max_value: 5.0
  rationale: The "Exchange" domain is perfectly appropriate as this concept deals
    specifically with the mechanics of international trade and the practical considerations
    that make certain media of exchange more efficient than others. It's fundamentally
    about exchange mechanisms rather than production or distribution.
- name: vsm_relevance
  value: 3.0
  max_value: 5.0
  rationale: This entity has moderate VSM relevance, most naturally fitting S1 (primary
    operations) as it describes an operational efficiency in trade execution. However,
    it's somewhat VSM-neutral as it's more about the inherent properties of a medium
    rather than organizational system dynamics.
- name: explanatory_value
  value: 4.0
  max_value: 5.0
  rationale: The entity provides genuine explanatory power by illuminating why precious
    metals became dominant in international trade - it reveals the underlying economic
    mechanism (transportation cost efficiency) rather than just naming the phenomenon.
    This helps explain the structural evolution of trade systems.
---

# Evaluation: Bullion Transportation Cost Advantage

## definition_precision — 4.0 / 5.0

The definition is precise and captures a distinct economic concept - the specific advantage of precious metals due to their high value-to-weight ratio making transportation economically efficient. It avoids circularity and clearly distinguishes this advantage from other properties of money or trade goods.

## source_grounding — 5.0 / 5.0

This concept is directly grounded in Smith's text where he explicitly discusses why gold and silver are preferred for international trade, emphasizing their small bulk relative to value as a key practical advantage. The entity accurately reflects Smith's reasoning about precious metals in foreign commerce.

## domain_placement — 5.0 / 5.0

The "Exchange" domain is perfectly appropriate as this concept deals specifically with the mechanics of international trade and the practical considerations that make certain media of exchange more efficient than others. It's fundamentally about exchange mechanisms rather than production or distribution.

## vsm_relevance — 3.0 / 5.0

This entity has moderate VSM relevance, most naturally fitting S1 (primary operations) as it describes an operational efficiency in trade execution. However, it's somewhat VSM-neutral as it's more about the inherent properties of a medium rather than organizational system dynamics.

## explanatory_value — 4.0 / 5.0

The entity provides genuine explanatory power by illuminating why precious metals became dominant in international trade - it reveals the underlying economic mechanism (transportation cost efficiency) rather than just naming the phenomenon. This helps explain the structural evolution of trade systems.
