The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-03-25
rom The Continental Monthly.
G Old.

Em--Haf AlrE EEE ~ Il HN[
q Gold, next to iron, is the most widely sdif
fused metal upon the surface of our globe Il
occurs in granite, the Oldest rock known To
rs, aud in all the rocks derived from it it is
also fouR q ID The veinstones which traverse
ether geok3ical formations, but has never been
fonnd nany secondary formation. It is, how
ever, mdch more common In ~alluviaI grounds
than among primitive and pyrogeuous rocks
T. found disseminated, under tho form of
spangles, IN the %siiieious, areillaeeous, and
RrrugIuous sands of certain plains and rivers,
especially IN their junction, at the season of
lowlwater,s and after storms and TEN porary
foodssaH is the only initial of a yellow color
1tis readily erystalfizable, aud always assumes
fohe or more of the symmetrical shapes, such
a the cube or regular oefahedron. It affords
asresplendent polish, and may be exposed to
the atmosphere for any length of time, with
out sutfering any change it is remarkable for
rs besuty; % nineteen times heavier than wa
ter, and next to platinum, the heaviest pyFn
substance ats malleability is such, tina a Gu.
bic inch will cover thirty i've hundred1sauare
feet lis a~sctility is such hat a lump the val
ne of four hundred dollars could be drawn in
tosasBire which would extend around the globe.
Itisfrst mentioned In Genesis ii, Id. 1t
was found in the country of Hayilah, VIII ere
the rivers Euphrates and Tigris mite and dis
charge their waters into the Persian gulf.
The relative value of gold to silver in the
days Of the patriarch Abraham was one to
eight at the period of B. O. 1000, it was one
totwelve BIO. 500, it was one to thirteen /;
at the commencement of the Christian era, it
was, one to nine ;AD. 900, it was one to eigh.
teen A. D.zIl00, it was one to eight; A. D..
1460, it was one to eleven AID. 1913, it was
to thirteen A. D.tT00, it was one to fifteen
anda half; which latter ratio, With but slight
variation, ii has maintaine6s: he to I. e;ent DAY.
Goldwas considered bullion in Palestine for a
long period after silver had been current as
money This first mention of gold money in
tho Bible Is In Dayids reign o. G. 1860
when that king purchased the threshing floor
of0rnan for six hundred sheckels of gold by
weigh. In the early period of Grecian his.
tory the quantity of the precious metals in
creased bat slowly the circulating medium
did not increase in proportion with the guam
tity of bullion. In the earliest days of Greece,
the precious metals existed ia great abundance
in theHetant. Eatui and Little Thihet @.
O. 500 were abundant in golds Il seems to
besa web acertained fact, that It was obtained
nearthe surface so that countries, which for
meTly yielded the metal in great abnndanee,
are now entirely destitute of it Cresus (B.o.
$500 coined tho golden slater, wheh contained
one hundred and thirty three grains of pure
metal. Darius, son of Hystaspes fB. C.. 53S,)
HlLtCy X OOAtUll1uk e ~ huHuIGQ duuI
twenty one graios of pure metal, which were
preferred, for several ages throughout the
East, Tor their fneness. Next to the darics
were some coins ofthe reigns of the tyrants of
Sicily of Geiou @. c. 491 ;1..of Hero @. C.
AS > and of Dionysius (B. q. 404) Speci-
mems ofsthe two former are still preserved in
modern cabinetsIa Darics are supposed to be
mentioned in the latter books of the Old Tes-i
lament, under the name Of drGHs. Very few /
$780, ~ fH4EE-~s l.-o -. -
their scarcity may be accounted rby the fact
thakthey we're melted down under the type of
AlexaDder. Gold coin was By no means plen-
ty ia Greece until Phillip Of Maeedon had put
the mines. of Thrace into full operation, about |
n. g. 460.1~Geld vas aiso obtained BY the
Greeks from Asia Minor, the adjacent islands,
possessed it Ia abundance, and from In
dia, Arabia, Armenia, Colchis, and Troas. 1t
was found mixed with the sands of the Pacto- +
las and other rivers. There are only about a
dozen Greek coins in existence, three of which,
ire Hthe British Museum and of the latter,
Two are stafers, of the weight of one hundred
md t~WenfysniDe grains each. Hbout.R. or
267 gold coins were first struck off at Rome,
md were denomineted aurti, four specimens |
# which are in tho institution before alluded |
o. Their weight was one hundred and tven-,
'y-one grains. Gold coins were FIRST issued in
France by sQIeyis, A. d 4S9 ; about the same
inc they were issued in Spain by Amalric. !
he Gothic king IN both Kingdoms they were
allied t~rientes. They were first Issued in Eng :
andA D.I257, in the shape Of a penny. .
Florins were next issued, in 1874, of the val {
10 Of six shilfings. Tie guinea was first is ?
ned in 1868, of Guinea gold. In 1873 all !
he gold eoins-nobies, angles, rails, crowns, Q
nits,A lions, exurgats, etc, etc., were called in {
nd forbidden to circulate. The present soyer. o
ign vas FIRST issued in 1871. Q
From the commencement of the Cbristtan 3
torthe discovery Of America, the amonnt :
gold obtained from the surface and the bow :,
ofthe Earth IS timated to be thirtJ-eight
IDdred millicss OF dollars from the date Of
. latter event to the close of 1912, an add. I'll
= &C k1nnkzafah h.adxod 1ukIlo..