Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1850-10-25
Origin of Paper Honey.

The invention Of paper money IS mroh
more ancient than the establish meut Of
the earliest banks The Bank Of St
George. of Genoa. the most ancient we
know of, was founded IN 1907 but lie o:c
the thirteenth century, Koblat, grandson
Of Genghiz Khan, the Tartar conqucror,
introduced paper money into China, and
his example was at once followed by ns
cousin, kaigation, the Sultan Of Pers-1,
both were obliged TO abolish it or account
of the great disorders it produced Il their
extensive dominions.
Since this epoch. the Chinese Govern
ment has again established paper mouev.
aud in Russia they can now show 81
d" Chinese assicnat"
In Turkey, also, the collectors of Ger
[ tain taxes deliver receipts to those Who
pay them, and these papers have the cur
yercy of money.
It is not pretended that paper money
was first invented by the AIonrols on the
! contrary, its invention was everywhere -
easy as its use was obvious. and particH-
/ larry attractive for all governments, fo-
/ its temporary advantage in crises Of diff
( fculty. The idea of substituting 4 token
or promissory obligation, for present IN
trinsic value, could occur even to a simple
or barbarous people, of which there are
many examples. Aristotle. in his Econo-
mics. tells Us that Dyonicius the Tyrant
. of Syracuse, coined money of TIN, which
be declared to be legal, and equivalent TO
silver Timotheus, the general of the
Athenians, IN moIhent f difficulty,
/ coined brass money, assuring his mu-mur-
ing soldiers that he would receive it II
the purchase &C the spoils lie was to make
We have heard m1eh Of the leathcrn
money used by the CSrthagenians-
1t Is true, none Of thes.. are paper mon
oy, but they resemble it as merely tokens
Of value" the money of c0nide,.ce-tde
I. O. L. We have read also of the iron
money Of Byzantium, and of some of tke
ancient citizens of Greece In England.
copper money is only token or sign. cur
rent for nearly double its value in meta
In Russia, skins and furs have been used
for money, but their inconvenicnt ball
COVE rise, in early time, to an ingenious
representation Of these natural co:ns.
which was small piecesof leather stampe5.
which were used rs money. to be liquidst-
ed by frs and skins, as G. pressed Thls
ieathern coin was useG III some parts IS
the fractions Of silver copcck, down to tho
eighteenth century
Among the simple Hindoas. whose
wants are but few. and the produce c1
the earth acquired with little labor. corI
ana SILVER, or even copper or iron. are RI
no great value IN comparison; and thor
small money IS cowry shells collected -e
I the shores OF Ceylon and Of the MandI.va
Islands; the shells have been the curra5
money OF the Mongols Of Bengal and
Booti-n, as well as Of Guinea On the
discovery Of America, grains Of c5csa
served for money. In AbyssiDia. ta air
merchandise are valued b. salt and .e--
+ per; On the island Of Newfoundland 6-
Goldfish; in Iceland, by a sort of WOO
Pieces Of nankcen serve for the none. Il
comparison, in the exchanges batweed tl.,
/ Chinese and the Russians. % E.ajktq
among the Groehs IF the lower Fmp.~..
pieces Of silk performed tbs .,netioD IN
ancient Chronicles, go!2, s'.tver. and silt
are mentioned equally as .nonev.
/ The basis OF the Currency of T.. C,s
nese and Of tie Russi ans seems t3 bo 7ao-.
curious and substantial than any other
/ The small coins q the Chinese arpcar =
I cost more m The labor of fabrication thai
any are worn in their currency thev
cannot, therefore, be FORGE. and the mat.
rial Is mixed metal worth less in tie
erucibae, or for expr rrtation. than in its
use as coin. In Russia. the abundant
Ease Of their currency is copper, whose
value in coin IS less than in e5mmerce as
a metal; this Is an unusual condition
but q happy one as far as It extends
As riches and circulations increase with
civilization and confidence, and after tie
discovery Of America, and tbe working in
ITS mines, gold and silver tookwith aGvan
tage the place of those expedients; ono
step further has been taken on the basi.
OF credit in tie use Of paper money.
Metallic money. in its value, its quanti
ty, its facility, and rapidity of circulation
J in is transport and presence. can no
longer be suitable or equal to the cxigen-
ces Of our trade and exchanges paper ha
become Indispensable everywhere in for
eign commerce, and a. usefsIas necessary =
in the great internal trade of al inprov-
ed, active and productive country.