Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-17

The COINAGE OF GERNANY.-Considerin
the wealth and intelligence of Germany, the
condition Of its coinage is astonishing The
Traveller in that country who desires to under
sianu now his money goes finds himself involved
in an endless series of embarrassing calcula-
tons. He enters Germany, we will suppose, by
way oil belgium, where lie pays francs and cents
As soon as he has crossed the PrusSian frontier
at terrestrial, on the road to Cologne, he is
called upon for thalers and silver grQschen. At
Cologne he fakes, let US say, the steamer for Il
long days voyage up the Rhine to MaycnCe,
and after paying for his breakfast, dinner, and
perhaps supper, and Sundry intermediate pota-
mons OF various liquids, he tlatterS himself that
he understands the coinage of the country, and
might DEFY any walter on board the steamer to
impose upon him TO the extent of a single gro
semen. He arrives at AlaYence at ten O'Clock at
night, engages porter to carry bis baggage to
an hotel and Is convinced that he has some
thing yet to learn when that porter demands to
be paid in kreutzerS. However, within twenty
four hours he has become as familiar with for
ms and kreutzers as he was the day before with
thalers and silver grOSchen. But perhaps on
his way south be stops at Strashurg to inspect
the runs OF the recent siege; and here his hotel
hIll IS made out In francs, and we may suppose
that he offers in payment a PruSsian bank note
Tor thalers, which he has obtained at Cologne or
Mayence, and that he desires to procure Il sup
ply Of tiOrinS for use further SOUTH The RUE
that four thalerS-seven horins-filteen francs,
even II il were exact, which it is not is difficult
of application, You left Mayence with a lot of
North German money, which is useless further
south, and you leave StraSburg with a lot OF
French COINS many Of which become useless as
soon as you pass kehl. OF course if you empty
your pockets OF these membranes the loss is
small, but it does not seem unreasonable to re-
quire that there should be no loss at al, 1t is
true that at railway stations and hotels and prin-
cipal shops in South Germany the thaler OF
North Germany is DlIVpVs fnlyaO NJ ttta
one and three-quarter forms, but it is easy for
traveller to find himself in places where the
people with whom he deals do not like the look
of il, and where the franc Of France Bel
gium or Italy is regarded with even small
Ter favor. Even among forms there is
the distinction betty en the German form. Is
Sd, and the Austrian form, Is lid and this
distinction may easily be overlooked by a tray
eler making hasty payments by imperfect light.
Then, again, after leaving FreibOurg and Basic
behind him, the traveller probably stops for a
night at Schatfhausen to view the Rhinefall,
and here Swiss landlord prODounds a theory
OF MS own rs to the comparative value of francs
| in which he makes out his bill and of forms.
IN which you propose to pay him. Leaving
Schalinausen and the small piece Of Switzerland
which, for the mystifcation of travellers, has
been placed north Of the Rhine, Won arrive at
Constance, which, although south of the Rhine
IS German, and here you get Swiss coins giyen
in change, which nobody will take back The
landlord OF an excellent hotel at Constance, who
speaks English and French tolerably, and Ger
| man as his native tongue, presents his daily
bill of fare and wine carte, with prices marked
in tiorins aud kreutzers, aud makes out hi, bill
to a customer in francs and cents This land.
lord being lately asked to deduct the amount of
his bill from an English So note taken at 1875
francs, and to pay the balance partly in napo-
| icons and partly in forms, honestly confessed
| that TINS financial operation was beyond his
| power and begged to be allowed to pay the en-
| Urday ReyieiC.