Guild

Uncommon card · No. 102672

A guild (, GHILD) is a professional association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The word derives from medieval Europe where guilds were probably at their most extensive, but it has been used to describe similar groups before and after that period and in other parts of the world. Typically, the key privilege for guild members was control of trade in a given city. There might be controls on minimum or maximum prices, hours of trading, numbers of apprentices, and many other factor. Critics argued these rules reduced free competition, but defenders maintained guilds protected professional standards.

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