Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-10-16
From the Philadelphia BuAetin.
.a Origin of Coins. +

The rare beauty of the Worlds Fair medals
one Of which we inspected last week, suggested
train of reflections on the history OF medals ana
COINS on the means Of coming, which 1t may be
worth while, perhaps, to lay before our readers.
| In the early ages of mankind, all traffic, as IS
well known, was conducted by means of barter
The herdsman exchanged his cattle LOT goous' anu
tile merchant his goods for food to eat But such
rude condition of affairs could not, 1t Is clear,
continue long and the necessities OF mankind,
therefore, led to the substitution Of medium oil
exchange, or representative fvalue. The precious
METALS from their intrinsic worth as well as their
portable character naturally suggested themselves
for this purpose. AT first they were used III simple
bars. without even stamp or coinage, and WERE IN
such necessarily weighed, and often aSsayed'
every transfer. But this being inconvenient, the
expedent was hit upon of authentcating the
weigh, and standard by mrrk. Afterwards that
the needs of Commerce might still tuIther be con-
suited, the bars were made of various sizes. In
the end, still further to impress the character OF
legaliZed currency the gold, silver, bronze or
copper employed, appropriate shapes differing IRON
thUse Of the simple bar, were selected, the circu-
lar form Of the present coin being that most gener-
| ally adopted .u,E-u' ~
1t was not always, however that money was
| made round. Our British ancestors prior to the
| invasion of Julius Cesar, employed rings, some
times singly, but oftener made into chan for cur
rency. Large quantities of this species OF com
have been dug up in England, Ireland, Wales anu
Scotland. The smallest piece of money OF this
description, which has yet been discovered, IS a
gold ring weighing half a penny weight. But 9TH
ers containing three times this weight, or five, ten,
| sixteen, or twenty-five times this weight, up to
| the weight of pound troy, have also been dis-
covered; thus proving that the rings were not in
tended for ornaments but for currency. Even
among the Romans, circular coins were not in use
until the time of Servus Tullius, and in Great
Britain they were not employed till some time after
the conquest by Caesar. OF all ancient nations,
the Greeks produced the most beautiful coins
those of the Romans not being particularly ele
CANT till late period in their history. The meth
cd of stamping the piece of money was simple
Usually the blow, which gave the impress, was
struck by hammer; and, at first, the die was cut
in the face of the insrrumentitsef So late two
centuries ago, the coming of money, even in Eng
land, was conducted in comparatively rude man
ner and many Spanish quarter, yet in circula-
ton, bears decisive evidence of uncouth COIN
ing
Even at this day, the coined money of Europe
generally, is dsgraceful TO art, and is frequently
basely alleged. The exceptions are the gold and
silver pieces of England, France Belgium, and
Prussia. Our own coins are not SO good as they
might be, fact which any person may verify by
comparing them with well executed medals-that
struck in honor of Mr.. Obey, those issued at the
Worlds Fair, for instance. Some OF the finest
coins and medals ever executed were those issued
by the Emperor Napoleon, generally, however,
the European coins of England or France. The
worst executed coins, among civilized nations are
those of Mexico and the South American States
generally. 4=-It,s- 5,yz+-#.{s,E.-y
A word more and we shall have coins enough,
| at least for one reading, on coins and coming
Money is word, we are told by Chambers, deriv-
ed from the temple of Jupiter Moneta, where
metallic currency was first struck by the ancients
Cash comes from the French word caisse, Golfer
or chest in which money is kept. And pecuniary
is derived from peeus, the Latin for flock or herd
of animals these being in the earlier ages the equiv
alents for money. 80 etatst -t