Gerard de Malynes (1586-1641) was an independent merchant in foreign trade, an English commissioner in Belgium, a government advisor on trade matters, assay master of the mint, and commissioner of mint affairs. He also wrote the two books "The Canker of Englands Common Wealth" in 1601 and "The Maintenance of Free Trade" in 1622.

Another important work of his was the (descriptively named) treatise "Consuedo, vel, Lex Mercatoria: or, The Law Merchant: Divided into three parts, according to the Essential Parts of Traffick Necessary for All Statesmen, Judges, Magistrates, Temporal and Civil Lawyers, Mint-Men, Merchants, Mariners and Others Negotiating in all Places of the World"

He was a supporter of ideas similar to mercantilism.