The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-03-05
Chinese Money.

y From the first, the Chinese held a yer
N correct notion with regard to money. The
e recognized it simply as an instrument II
d further exchange, and not as being in itsel
n wealth. Money" says one writer, ri
e an object that in time Of famine canno
feed Us, in time Of cold cannot clothe us
d but, coming to the service OF all occupa.
, tons, all sorts Of precious things MAJ be
s secured by it," The vicissitudes through
2 which the currency in China has passed
have been frequent and violent. The ease
; with which money is produced tempted
various sovereigns in times of national
!. difficulty to coin enormous quantities to
meet their immediate wants, and 80 COM
mon have been the materials empIoye ed,
and SO rude the technical execution, that
colners have found no difficulty in coun-
terteiting the Imperial cash. At the preg-
ent day the trade Of coming false money is
large and ffourishing one, and only with
In the last few weeks vessel was captur-
ed on the Yang-tze-Kiang carrying full
cargo Of false money. The principal OBJ
Jectlon to the copper cash as q medium Of
exchange has always been it's cumbroue-
ness, and thus at early period arose de-
mand TOR a more convenient equivalent.
10 some extent silver supplied this want,
Dut the Introduction Of paper currency
proved still greater benefit to the travel
ing merchant. Historians tell us that bank
notes first appeared during the Tang Dy- /
nasty, "a. d. 622-S97), but with the ad-
vent OF troublous times they ceased to cir s
cnlate, and it was not until the Sung Dy- t
nasty "a. D. 950-ll91) reigned supreme i
that they were systematically issued and i
recognized AS in all countries subject to
revolutionary outbreaks, the paper cur
rency OF China has been subject to extreme
fluctuations, and the means adopted by the
Government to maintain its nominal value 4
n times Of depression have been as unwise r.
IND unavaillng as any employed in Euro !.
)ean countries under similar circumstances ~
AZ one time, when paper money had be- Ia
ome largely deprecated in consequence ae
Il overissue, the Government, in order to 90
eep 1t IN circulation, ordered that all pay es
1ents should be made in notes, which were q,
nave the same value as metallic money. ar
ls needless to say that this regulation or
illed i'll its effect and almost Immediately W,
tterWard we find that notes of the nominal r.
alue of 900 cash were worth in the mar ro
ct only 10 cash. In addition to the over k1o1
sue OF notes, which. has always been the
lief cause Of their depreciation, the ap wf
earance from time to time of large guam an
ties OF false notes has added to the popu- of
r mlstrust in them. It is curious to no mn;
,e the similarity between the terms Of si,
e penalty to be inflicted on forqers of an,
llnese paper money with those employed Al,
Western Governments on the first ap- h.,
arance of forged notes in Europe and hor
nerica. On the notes issued during the AZ
ing Dynasty "a. D. 1365-1643) was the 90,
scription, "Whoever fabricates or uses ob1
'ged notes shall be beheaded, and he who tho
forms against the forger, or arrests him. mo-,
all receive reward Of $50 ounces OF sill 1a,
~ The Assignats Of the French Re- ion
bic bore an almost identical legend, "La
punt de mort 1e contrefacteur, la aet5on Sir
ompense le denouciateur;;" and on the D.
nerican notes issued during the War of
dependence was inscribed the short and
phatic phrase, TO counterfeit il DEATH A
The Antheneuna. sem