Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-01-11
STATE DEMOCRAT.
Ancient Money.

Before the invasion OF julius Cesar,
the natives Of England had tin plates,
iron plates, aud rings which were mon
ey. On the authority of Seneca, a
curious account is given when leather,
appropriately stamped to glAe it GER
tain legal character, was the only cur
rent money. At a comparatively re-
cent date in the annals of Europe,
Friedrich the Second, who died in 49,
30, at the siege of Milan, actually paid
his troops with leather money. Near
| " the same circumstances occurred in
England during the great wars Of the
| barons. la the course Of 1920, King
John, for the ransom Of his royal per
son, promised to pay Edward the
Third, Of England, three millions of
gold crowns. In order to fulfill the
obligation, he was reduced to the NOR
tifying necessity of paying the ex-
penses of the palace in leather money,
in the center of each peicc there being
little bright point of silver. In that
reign is found the origin OF the tIavers-
ed honor Of boyfood- called conferr-
ing the medal. The imposing ccremo-
MES accompanying presentation gave
full ce,;dignity and value to leather
jewel, which noblemen were probably
proud and gratitied to receive at the
hand of his majesty.
SO late as 1904, there was an i'm
mense Issue Of money in Holland,
stamped on small sheets of pasteboard.
But farther back in the vista Of years.
Euma Pompius, the second king Of
Rome, who reigned G22 years before
the Christian era, made money out of
wood as we'll as leather; a knowledge
of which might have influenced King
John in the bold project of substituting
the tanned hide Of an animal for gold
and silver, well known to his subjects
to be exceedingly precious.
Both gold and silver appeared to
have been in extensive circulation in
Egypt, soon after their potency was
understood in Asia. From thence
they were introduced into Carthage
and Greece and finally, travelling fur
ther and further in westerly direc-
ton, the city of Rome discovered the i'm
portance of lcgalizing their circulation.
Weight having always been of the
first Importance in early times, the
shape of money appears to have been
regarded with perfect Indifference for a
series Of years.
When the bits and portions of met
al received as precious were extensive
ly circulated it is quite probable that
each possessor shaped them to suit his
own conception, as practical to some
extent at this time in remote places in
the East Indies. The payer always
cut Oft parts with shears, till be obtains
by exact weight the stipulated amount.
1t was thus that men travelled with
the evidence of their possessions in
a sack. But great Inconvenience
must have resulted from this often
tedious process; and as nations ad-
vance in the civilization and the
economic arts, certain mark or i'm
preston on certain sized piece were &C.
knowledged to be the signs Of Il certain
weight.
This facilitated negotiations, and az
forwards further improvements, both
in the shape, weight and beauty of
the external devices. By-and-by the
profile of the king, the date of coin
age, and the records of important
events, give still more completeness and
character to the circulating article of
exchange.