The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-06-02
ORIGIN OF OUR DOLLAR MARK


Tyre was one of the oldest cities Of
the world, probably nearly as ancient a;
either Damascus or Klamath, one of the
Roman poets describing it as competing
with Troy for the commerce of the Med
iterranean, and it is certain In very early
ages it was renowned for its wealth and
the extent of its trade. Its tutelary de.
ity was Hercules, also known as Mel.
cartes; his temple was a massive struct.
ure built with stones of an enormous
size, with the well known beveled edges
Before it we're two beautiful pillarsl
each entwined with the condemnation.
serpent. These were deliberately orna-
mented and stood upon each side of the
entrance. The pillars were supposed by
some to typify- the one, the strength OF
endurance of Hercules, the other, his
beauty; by others to refer to his mortal
and immortal natures.
In early times the strong and sacred
temples, secure from robbery and pro.
fanation, were used as treasures, and
many Tyrian coins had two pillars
stamped on them, either in honor to
Hercules, or as the treasury mark, indi.
eating whence they were issued,
An incident in Tyrian history illus.
trates the use OF the temple as a treas
ury. When Pygmalion, King of Tyre and
brother OF Dido, murdered her husband
Sichaeus, merchant of great wealth
perhaps Jew of the tribe of Issachar)
he placed his ill-gotton treasures in the
temple Of Hercules. During his alb
sence, Dido, whose Phnnician name was
Elisa, contraction of Jezsbel, or of it's
synonyme Isabel, and who was most
probably named after her aunt, the noto-
rious Jezebel, corrupted the priests OF
the temple and securing her husbands
treasures, fed to Carthage. The terminal
syllable Bel in Tyrian and Bal in Cartha-
genian names was the name of the deity
Baal; the proper names having some
such meanings as servant of Baal, below
ed of Baal, warrior of Bsal, etc.
The Tyrians owned large possessions
in Spain, traded extensively with it, and
their coins, with the pillars on each en-
twined with the serpent, were largely
circulated. They moreover erected a
splendid temple west of Gibraltar, near
Cadiz, on position commanding an ex.
tensive view over the Atlantic, with two
beautiful pillars in front, to Hedcules.
Hence the Straits of Gibraltar were
called "The pillars of Hercules"
This building was for many years the
most massive and beautiful in Spain, and
landmark of great value to all outward
and inw8rd-bound vessels which were in
the habit OF stopping for trade or sup
plies, and making rich votive offerings
for success in voyage, or from gratitude
for preservation. The temple became a
very wealthy one; was sort of treasury
for Spain, receiving large amounts of
gold and silver from the Spanish mines
then very productive; issued its coins with
the old Tyrian pillar mark and serpent,
which have been continued upon silver
coins in Spain even to our own time.
In the early days of our Republic most
of the silver currency was composed OF
Spanish coins with the pillar marks on
them. It is not reasonable to suppose
that our dollar emblem (S) was adopted
from the prominent feature of the i'm
preston on Spanish dollars, and that in
stead OF having the serpents on each col
umn the serpentine lines connecting the
two was chosen? We may thus trace its
origin to the remotest antiquity and note
its curious connection with the pillars of
joachim and Boaz before Solomon's Tenn
ple.-NetV York Observer.