Random new merchants (bug ?)

[thomaha]

Playing 1.08 as Denmark..
From time to time I acquire monopolies or compete away enemy merchants
in trade centers that I have haven't sent a merchant to in years.
The last time this happened, I was the lucky owner of a monopoly
in the English controlled Anglia CoT..
How is this possible? I have annexed the Hansa (they were asking for it, starting to build three fortresses and no troops in 1492 ) and
Prussia so am I receiving free merchants from them or something?

These annexations happened more than 50 years back so it's not a result of getting their merchants when I at first annexed them..

Anybody seen the same thing? Or knows what's causing this?

 

[hjarg]

You have autosend merchants on???

 

[unmerged(372)]

Well, there is the discreet merchant event, there are merchant bonuses for tech levels, and most nations have a minimus percent chance (really puny one, though) to get a free merchant just because.

 

[unmerged(372)]

Oh, yes, and coastal provinces if you are lutheran or reformed give you more merchants, I believe.

 

[thomaha]

I didn't have auto send on and did not send any manually either.
The point was that I acquired a monopoly in a trade center without sending any more merchants there. How could that happen?!?