Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-09
The Money r4a.e. of c.ls nd


| It is q rather eusi0uS fact stkat tie only
coin nov In current use on this tentineni,
which = .not goand, b the go Eeld piec0.
struck for California, WHICH Is octagonal in
shape. An the coins IN Europe are round
IN Japan they are oblong wedges of silver.
II u curious, too, that for h1any yeaNS m6aey
has been made out of paper, coIesther or
| cloth would seem to be much mpre durable.
Yet paper, when representing coin, lasts
great while, and not uufYequently the Bank )
Of England receives a note Of extraordinary
age and the Bank Of Bengal, in India, re-
Gently was called upon 70 pay several thous-
and pouhds Of notes so old that none Of the
present generation remembered the pattern.
IL is also worthy Of remark that gems or
precious stones have never been used for
money, nor mas platinum or any other metal
taken the place of gold. In Africa, spe-
cies of shell fonns the circulating medium,
the value OF which .fuctuatcs sometimes ~
per cent. week. But all civilized countries
have gold ss she standard Of money vaIuc,
and all other circulating medium Is but re-
preventative Of the great standard. Only the
Hndbo has ever learned TO test coin accu-
rately'by the hand. ..i.i 2.3 g a71a' 51g Ggg
0fAn gold coinage, that of England ia,
tfe=haps, the most beautiful. A new, fresh
gold sovereign is probably as graceful and
attractive com as exists. Next TO 1t the
American double-eagls is the most elegant
gold coin. The twenty franc pieces Of tho
present kingdom of Italy are also very neat.
Probably the smallest coin in use is the
French fve-franc piece, although few half. J
dollar eold-pieces have been struck off in
California. At present there are current in
France, in everyday traffic, coins bearing
the noble face ofthe first Napoleon, both as
Consul and Emperor the heavy round heads :
Of Charles X. and Louis XVIII. the
shrewd countenance Of Louis Philippe
and the familiar features of the present
Emperor. In some cases Napoleon Ill. is
represented with, and IN others without 4
laurel wreath.
4. The most beautiful silver coinage is that
OF Russia, each piece being in itself a work
sof art, 80 finely and elaborately is the die cut.
On the other hand the .ugliest silver coinage
piece, aduIterated and poorly cut, is usually
to be found encrusted with dirt and filth, and
looking like refuse fragment Of tin. The
silver coinage Of Germany is very bad also.
In Italy-excepting the portions subject to
the Pope and the Emperor Of Austria-the
franc piece is taking the place of former
coins, though the local coinage Of the former
duchies Of Parma and Modena still infests
those portions Of the country. Naples also
retains in retail traffic the complicated coins
in use under the Bourbon rule.
. Perhaps the neatest paper money in the
world is that of Greece, which is manufac-
tured by American engrayers and workmen.
The old bank currency Of this country is Of
ten very elegant. The worst and most
wretched paper money in the world is the
5-kreutSer note of Austria, printed on soft,
thick, grayish paper, which has faculty OF
and p,,hhtnoV lilo nFdinnFv
blotting paper. But nearly as bad is the pos
tai currency with which, for our sins. we are
now afflicted. a He who steals purse full Of
our and l0-cent notes-frayed, dirty, worn
and illegible-docs, indeed, steal trash
". y. Post. - I'D f r 81. e.. EsT ,l'.