Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-12-05
ANClENr RANkING.
Checks, Receipts, and UsuIy in Babylon,
Athens and Rome.
london standard,

London standard,
Mr.. +. q, Hilton Price, +. q. s, read
paper at the opening meeting of the
Institute Of BA lkers, entitled Notes en-
Au1 ient Bankers aud GoldSmiths to the
Close Of the Seventeenth Century, MIR,
Price, who is the author Of The Hand
book of London Bankers" gave large
number o. very interesting facts ON the
sui lect, referring in the opening parts
Of his paper to the little that is known
Of the operations of banking, or trade
OF an equivalent character, among the
Chinese and Hndoos rs iNr back ~
225o h, c. Although there were no
actual records OF banking among the
ancient Egyptians, yet II appeared GER
tain that that class ot traders existed,
rs was inferred from various uses made
of precious metals. Some vi the mon
etary transactions mentioned in the
Bible some 1000 years g. {. we're also
referred TO. The author dwa,t on the
recent discoveries made in ASSyria by
the late George Smith, of the British
Museum, and gave tranSstionS Of tab.
lets discovered Ivy that gentleman, espe
clallv IN connection with the tablets OF
checks, receipts, and other records Of n
great firm OF the namo OF Egihi, who
tlourished 597 b. {. These tablets he
IN connection with the tablets was that
each bore the day of tho month, date
and regnal year of the monarch in
whose reign the transactions We're made.
Among the tablets was also bank al
manac OF the firm. containing the COM
plete calendar of Bahylonian year. Ii
appeared from this disclosure that the
usuriouS rate of cent per cent was
sometimes charged on loans, The
speaker then passed on to notice the
monetary transactions of the Greeks,
among whom, especially in Athens,
there We're plenty o. money dealers.
Bills Of exchange were, III those easy
times, made use of, and could te trans
mltted from place 10 place. Although
much was known of the Roman prac-
tice, there was no information whether
the check-the attrubu;iS, or per scrip
tum-was capable of being transferred
to any one else by the person who re.
ceivcd it, or whe ether it was only pay
able to the drawee. Recent discoveries
ut Pompei, in the house of Roman
banker, had resulted IN unearthng the
actual tablets used in his banking busi-
ness, and they represented receipts for
payment and the registration OF pay
ments made to the public exchequer.
After the Norman Conquest, the Jews
were brought to England by William L.,
and introduced bills Of exchange and
the practice of lending money ut inter
est upon security of landed property.
The next point noticed was the rise and
progress of the goldsmiths, chiefly in
London. Previous to the fire, gold
smiths lived in Chepe. After the fire
thew removed to Lombard street. About
the time of Charles l the goldsmiths
had supertlous bullion i'll the Tower Of
London for safe keeping; but tins led
to the King Selling the whole, amount
ing TO 600 900, and it was some time
before the sum was repaid. Mr.. Irice
brought down the list of goldsmiths t.
the year 1890, Introducing the names OF
Messrs. Blanchard & Child at Ye Mary.
gold" now Messrs. Child & Co.; Messrs.
Duncombe & Kant, m "Ye Grasshopper, .
now Messrs. Martin & Co. James Hoare,
Of " Ge Golden Bottle" now Messrs.
Hoare, Fleet street, and Humphrey
Stocks. aye Black Horse" now Messrs.
Barnett, Hoare & Co. The Bank oil
England, established in 1884, became u
serious rival to the goldsmiths and
bankers.