The weekly union record., 1864-03-19
The Money Phases Of Coin and Paper

II IS rather curious 4et that the only coin
now ia current use on this continent, which IS
not roand, IS the $50 gold piece struck for
California, which Is 9ct1goDal in shape. All
the coins in Europe are round. In Japan tley
have oblong wedges Of silver. Il is carious
too, that for many years money has been made
out OF paper, when leather Or cloth would seem
to be much more durable. Yet paper, when
representing coin, lasts & great while and not
unirequently the Bank of England receives q
note OF extraordinary age; aul the Bank of
Bengal, in India, recently was called upon to
pay several thousand pounds Of notes 50 old
that none OF the present generation remembered
the pattern.
1t is also worthy Of remark that gems or
precious stones have never been used for money.
nor bas platinum or any other metal taken the
place Of gold. In Africa. species Of shell
forms the circulating medium, the value of
which tuctuales sometimes % Ier cent. a week.
Bat all civilized countries have gold as the
standard OF money value, and all other circu-
aling medium is but the representative Of the
great standard. Only the Hiadoo has ever
learned to test coin accurately by the hand.
OF oil gold coinage. that Of England is per
haps the most beautiful. \ new, fresh gold
sovereign is probably as graceful and attractive
coin as exists. Next to it the American
double eagle is the most elegant gold coin The
twenty franc pieces Of the present kingdom Of
Italy are also very neat. Probably the smallest
coin in use is the French fve-franc piece, al
though a few halfdollar g9lA pieces have been
struck cf in California. At present there are
current in France, in every day traffic, coins
bearing the noble face OF the first Napoleon,
hot Il !
heads Of Charles y. aud Louis NVIII,; the
shrewd counfenance of Louis PHILIPPE, ard the
familiar features Of the pgesgut Emperor. In
some cases Napoleon III. is represented with,
and IN Others without laurel wreath.
The most beautiful silver coinage is that Of
Russia, each piece being in itself a work Of art,
so finely and elabofately IS the die cut. On the
other hand, the ugllest silver coinage is that Of
the free city of Hamburg; each piece aduiter
ated and poorly cut, Is usually to be found
encrusted with dirt and dlth. aud locking like
a refuse fragment Of tin. The silver coinage
Of Germany is very bad also. In Itay-ex,
ceplng the portions subject to the Pope and
Emperor Of Austria-the franc piece is taking
the phase c. former co.ls, aacugh the local
coinage Of the former duches of Parma and
Modena still infests those portions of the coun-
Try. Naples also retaluS ID retail traiilc the
complicated coins in use under the Bourbonrule
Perhaps the neatest paper money in the
world is that Of Greece which is manufactured
by American engravers and workmen. The
old bank currency Of this country is often very
elegant. The worst and most ~retched paper
money in the world is the 5kreutzer note of
Austria, printed on a soft, thick, grayish paper,
which has faculty of washing aud rubbing
away like ordinary blotting paper. But nearly
as bad is the postal currency with which, for
our sins We are now afflicted. He Who steals
purse full OF our and ] o cent notes-frayed,
dirty, worn and iiiegibe-loes indeed, steal
trash. '-Ncu York Post