New-York tribune., 1867-08-02
AMoNG TIE GREEYBACKS.

wAsHEGroN. July 27 1861
Money-who will write its listoryP II en-
braces hundreds OF forms the product Of mine forest
field. and factory. II IA comprehensive as eyclopcda
tnd fascinating as a romance.
Tho currency Of Barbarism IA rudea various We
tnow nothing Of that early somleivzod Ameri-
can race whose very has perhed though our val
eys and praries tcemcd with ts living millions
Their stone cities in Arizona and New-MeXico their ten
thousand earth monuments in the MISSISSIPPI valley
crumble daily under the tooth Of Time and razure OF
OBLIVION But their money ard that the Indians who
succeeded them usually IN rudoly orBamentcd disks
shaped Ike our coin, comprised bone she'll coal terra
GOTTA mica lead iron copper gold, agate pearl jasper
ehalcedony and cornelan
Our great Ncw-A -Aimaden quicksilyer mine was known
10 Aborieinals as "the Cave Of Red Earth" The crude
ennebar tof which vcrmllllon Is made) passed among
them as currency, and was precious for painting ther
dusky checks.
ON the Pacific red men bartercd their choicest otter
robes for string blue beads on the Atlantic they SOFA
half state for a belt OF wampum They drove out the
mound builders the South West Now In turn' we eA-
terminate hen tho whirigis Of Time brings IN MS
The wealth Of earliest civilization nocks and herds
h,nee our adjective 'pecunary," from pceus cattle"
Hsmer mentions that the Of Dioned cost but nine
own while the Lavish Glaucus paid hundred Tor MS
p1ons M tho Norman INVASION had two kinds Of money,
cpr,sed gold brass. tin, and iron the second cattle
and srares Our southrons thrived uron "ying" cur
rcncy til they fired upon Sumter aud broke their bank
one step In advance was leather. tho money OF the
Carthagenians few thousands In onedolnr notes OF
soeaiher have required warehouse for storage
and ship for transportation. Was the office seeker Of
Carthage eager become superintendent Of tho Pub
lie Tannery. ours Is 20 be Director OF the National
Mint Nails passed money In Scotland; salt In Abys
sinn dried fsh in Iceland and mulberry bark In the
far Cathny" The latter, in circular pieces, bore the
stamp OF the sOyeregn to counterfeit or refuse II was
death
ON the Pacific coast 30 years ago, hides were cash.
and known as California bank notes" In Oregon wheat
was legal-tender at a. per bushe New settlements
grow that the little money brought by immigrants
soon exhausted, compelling the use Of some local sub
stitute In Massachusetts, until lGls, corn, live stock,
wampun and muskct-baIls were all legalEed currency.
The bullets were required 20 BE "fubore," and
passed for penny each OF wAmpum four beads were
a penny No one compelled torecove either In sums
exceedingI2 pence California Oregon, Utah, and Colo
RADIO had their native god coined for convenience IN p
vate mints Cincinnati adopted raccoon skins; st. Louis,
furs other Western colonies, ndwarrans; and OLD
Virginia. tobacco which pioneer planters wisely Invested
IN the purchase Of wives.
Indian traders at their forts In the Far West used TO
buy tho best buffalo robes for two cups OF sugar. Now
robes are cheaper NewYork than the great plains
Texan traders afforded striking Illustration OF tho way
Civilization ranics with Barbarism They put the furs
and skins OF tho savage into scale, and their
muscle into the other, asserting that tho white mans
hand weighs half pound and his foot poundl They
exchanged ounce for those strips OF shining copper
with which the Indian delights TO encrcle wrist and
ankle for gold silver and emerald ornaments and sacred
vessels OF which Mexican churches had been de-
spoiled! But IN the long run the Comanche usually
avenged with the seapngnife his wrongs at the weigh
ingbeam ..s
Precious metals money older than history Tw"
thousand years before Christ Abraham the Chadean shep
herd whose children have never lost his faith his thr
through hundred and fourteen generations returned
from Egypt "yery rich In cattle in silver and In gold"
Aferward says Tie biblical record, ho bought the cave
of Machpeahwhere his bones TO rest beside those
OF earah the wife Of his youth four hundred shek
els Of silver, current m0HcD uih ne mochGnL' Inc
Catholic version has IT, "corumon, current money" The
shekel about co cents Of our gold IL was weighed
not counted; for there were no nints In those days
Hcrodotus asserts that coinage originated with the
LydIans The worlds coins since have been like leaves
OF Autumn. Most are extinct but the British Museum
preserves than a hundred and twenty thousand
varieties The Paris collection Is still greater ana IN
creased by two three thousand every Our country
has no large public accumulation but the Cabinet OF the
Philadelphia Mint contains many worth studying It's
ntdalIon memorials Of Washington number 20i thongh
not one believe representing him IN battle II embraces
many antique specimens Here selfsame coins when
pous ancens placed between the cold lips OF ther ueau
to pay old charon for ferrage over the sFx Here's
that very Image and superscpton OF Cesar wmch inc
Judean Carpenter pointed out 10 the fishermen ana teht
makers following him. Here faces OF rulers ana cap
taOns down to day from Alexander OF Macedon,
and the mshtiest julius who bestrode this narro" "ou
| like Colossus.
The courteous officer at the head OF the Mint IN
response TO my questions states tho Interesting features
OF tins collection clearly and uccincty that tako INC
| liberty OF giving his entire letter:
hIFT UNITED STATS, uLApELPHtA, July ~ IsoL
bR iou Inquiries have given 10 fb
| our cabinet eoins with the following results; "a,
AhrRicAN-Hegusr u n
Colonial Experimental and GoldRegiou issues V'''
Forkas-Moderu Coins the Roman character nemlny ,oo
MeIco Central and South America, Europe eIetP( ''
TurkeJl and West Indies
ORRsTALCohs Of Asia and Buropsan Turkey, h Arabic ,,o
and other chaTuetsrs, including China aud japan And ue
nedieYal Cshe aud CaipAate also Northern Africa saa
AsrouE-Romsn down 10 The end Of the Byzantine Bmphe;
AsraukIGresA including syriAc, Egyptian. Bae'iah ana $50
| sasansn. a..
S
ro,., ., coins. .............. i,so
MkpALs Unted States National (bronIs).
Medals and hedAes Of Washing "a.
Miscellaneous tgod silver bTonie
Whole IS'abeF u pieces '