hmmmm, the OED distinguishes two uses of the word: 1. Belief in the benefits of trading; the principles or activities characteristic of traders; commercialism. (Often with pejorative connotation.) 2:   Econ. The economic theory that a nation's wealth, esp. its ability to amass bullion, is increased by a favourable balance of trade, and that a government should encourage such a balance by promoting exports (esp. of manufactured goods) and restricting imports.

The 1836 occurrence refers to the first meaning (google books goes back to 1833). For the second meaning (I imagine Jérôme is interested in this one), the first occurrence indicated by OED is 1881 (1881    Contemp. Rev. Nov. 792   "Is it possible that merchants, bankers, [etc.]..should all be led astray by the sophism of ‘mercantilism’?”.)

Google books goes back to 1865 for meaning 2:

1865 TO THE PRESENT A UNITED STATES HISTORY FOR HIGH SCHOOLS (1865 )
https://books.google.com/books?id=Jma4bS4ZsioC - Traduci questa pagina
(severall occurrences of the word: clearly intended in sense 2, but not defined more in detail. This would really be a funny source for this usage of the term!)

Perhaps this is also relevant, but it’s hard to judge from the snippet:

https://books.google.com/books?id... - Traduci questa pagina
Survey of University Business and Economic Research Projects
1847
Deals with the rise of modern capitalism, Spanish mercantilism, the decline of Spain, the Industrial Revolution, war, and inflation. Examines institutions, events, and ideas. EARL J. HAMILTON, University of Chicago, Department of Economics,  …


As usual, words can have different meanings, and it makes little sense to find when a certain word first occurred as such. What matters (if at all) is how when a certain meaning emerged (and, as to meaning 2: if we enter into details, not necessarily all would define mercantilism as THAT specific set of doctrines …), or when and how old meanings changed into something else, or where new words take over in substitution of old ones. 

Daniele Besomi




> Il giorno 20-lug-2017, alle ore 18:32, Womack, John <[log in to unmask]> ha scritto:
> 
> The OED online says the first use in English is 1838.
> JSTOR’s oldest mention, in English, is 1849.
> Ngram shows mercantilisme first in 1835 (in Fourier), and Merkantilismus first in 1808 (not the Historical School).
>  
> From: Societies for the History of Economics [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jérôme Lange
> Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2017 10:56 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SHOE] who coined the term "mercantilism"
>  
> Dear all,
>  
> This had been in the back of my mind for a long time. I thought it was common knowledge, but asking around a bit revealed it was not. So now trying this wider channel.
>  
> I'm not talking of Smith's "mercantile system/system of commerce", which appeared earlier in Physiocratic writing, but the actual term "mercantilism" (or Merkantilismus, mercantilisme). I often read/heard it was coined first in German by the Historical School, but never with a personal attribution or reference.  
>  
> Calling on your erudition.
>  
> Best regards,
> Jérôme