▁was ▁an ▁independent ▁merchant ▁in ▁foreign ▁trade , ▁an ▁English ▁commission er ▁in ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Netherlands , ▁a ▁government ▁ad visor ▁on ▁trade ▁matters , ▁ass ay ▁master ▁of ▁the ▁mint , ▁and ▁commission er ▁of ▁mint ▁affairs . ▁His ▁dates ▁of ▁birth ▁and ▁death ▁are ▁unknown . ▁ ▁Life ▁Mal yn es ▁stated ▁that ▁his ▁ancest ors ▁were ▁from ▁Lanc ash ire . ▁His ▁father , ▁a ▁mint - master , ▁may ▁have ▁em igr ated ▁about ▁ 1 5 5 2 ▁to ▁Ant werp , ▁where ▁Ger ard ▁was ▁born , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁England ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁rest oration ▁of ▁the ▁currency ▁( 1 5 6 1 ), ▁when ▁Elizabeth ▁obtained ▁the ▁assistance ▁of ▁sk illed ▁work men ▁from ▁Fland ers . ▁Mal yn es ▁showed ▁how ▁an ▁out flow ▁of ▁pre cious ▁met als ▁could ▁lead ▁to ▁a ▁fall ▁in ▁prices ▁at ▁home ▁and ▁a ▁rise ▁in ▁prices ▁abroad . ▁This ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁clar ification ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁thought ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁He ▁suggested ▁that ▁higher ▁import ▁tar iffs ▁should ▁be ▁lev ied ▁and ▁exports ▁of ▁b ull ion ▁prohib ited , ▁because ▁he ▁believed ▁that ▁a ▁country ' s ▁growth ▁was ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁pre cious ▁met als . ▁ ▁Mal yn es ▁was ▁appointed ▁( about ▁ 1 5 8 6 ) ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁commission ers ▁of ▁trade ▁in ▁the ▁Low ▁Count ries . ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁England ▁in ▁ 1 5 8 7 , ▁when ▁he ▁purchased ▁from