The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-11-17
ancient Coins.


in exchange for something else. AS
soon as mankind increased in numbers,
they commenced to exchange one arti-
Gle for another in trade. This was done
first, by using some substance of great
value and small in bulk. At very
early period metallic exchanges were
made by weight, the giver of the money
weighing out so many pieces of gold or
silver. At later period actual coins,
having certain weight and guaranteed
by the government with the stamp or
seal of the State, were made the medi-
um of exchanges. At what period gold
and silver were first used is not known.
Nearly 1000 years before the Christian
era, Abraham returned from Egypt,
very rich in cattle, silver and gold.
The shape of silver and gold among the
Egyptians appears to have been that of
ring, with an opening on one side to
form chain when it was necessary.
This sort of money passed by weight.
Thus Abraham weighed four hundred
sheckels of money to the merchant.
The Jews never had any other mode of
using coin than by weight so long as
they were an independent nation.
Furthermore, it may be a new idea to
many that they never used gold as a
coin. Silver and copper were their sole
medium. You never hear them talking
about sheckels of gold in any of their
writings.
Among the Egyptians and Assyrans
the coin was frequently in the shape OF
sheep or a lamb, possibly of the value
of these animals. 1t has been supposed
that the change from weight to coin
representing given value was first
made by the Romans. The pound
weight was stamped with the image OF
an OK. Hence our word pec,niary is
| derived from the Latin word pecunid
signifying money, which in turn was
derived from the word pecu, signifying
cattle. Thus an immense stride was
made in civilization when a real value
was given to coin guaranteed by the
State, so as to avoid the necessity o
weighing it every time transaction
was made. The earliest coins were ex
ceedingly rude in character. They were
not perfectly round, as you now sec
them. A die was formed, over which
the coin was placed, and then it was
struck with punch, which stamped
the coin on one side, and left a rud,
dent on the other. After awhile, al,
was made on the end of the punch 81
that both sides were stamped.
| Alexander l., King of Macedonia, i
the first who had his name stamped
upon coin. The Athenians made tn,
owl their type. This gave rise to tn
anecdote Of the Athenian miser, tn
roof of whose house was said to be In
tested with vast number of owls, IL
allusion to money of the well know
Athenian type being concealed there.
The Romans carried on the coinin
} of money to high degree of perfe,
tion. Each State and sometimes siI
, gle city was authorized to issue its oW
r coins. Every coin was brief histor
of the age in which it was struck. III
e skill of the artizan, the composition
i the coin, the history of the people, an
| the name of the ruling monarch we
). frequently told on the same coin. 1t
probable that almost the only portrai
/ we have Of the ancients are what ma
e be seen on ancient coins that have con
n down to us. 1t is very singular tn
when they could stamp on copper, s.
o yer and gold the names Of kings, tn
the art of printing was not known t
l. within less than five hundred yeai
70 An immense number of ancient coli
are preserved in museums in Europ
" They are valuable records of past h
n tory, They are in fact printed book
on whose surfaces are stamped the IT
r. ords of past ages. 1t is said that ancie
10 Roman coins are still in circulation
c. Spain. They have become worn smoo
ID and thin by time. e.--Maine Farmer.