```
The Grand Duchy of Finland's early adoption wasn't just the death knell for the gold standard; it also made the British lose face somewhat.
The very British who had been the first to propose the currency group were now seeing a small nation from Australasia as the first among the smaller countries to join.
This represented not only a special relationship between the Grand Duchy of Finland and Australasia, but also suggested that the British subordinate relationships were not that great.
How could the British allow such a loss of face? Almost simultaneously, the British Government began contacting these subordinates, applying significant pressure.
With the pressure from the British, those countries that had been slow in abandoning the gold standard suddenly accelerated the process.
