Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-01-03
Hoarding in India

tits difficult to estimate the amount of
gold boarded IN India; but it was approx
lmated before the royal commission on
blmetalism at 80 million sterling, which
was the amount imported during the last 80
years, and is exclusive of the boards for
centuries past. The silver was computed
at about ll0 millions. Thiss yield for both
gold and silver sum of 800 million. which
represents nearly one-third of the value of
the total amount of coin 81 ZOO, 000. 0OO)
estimated by DR.. Soetbeer to be in circula-
ton IN the world. The form which the
boarding takes is that of bullion or coin.
and frequently the metal is made into or
naments, partly used for the purpose of
adornment and partly kept as hoard. As
rule. the native prefers it In the form of
ornaments for his family, because it is
hoard; and 1t is also source of gratihca-
ton to them to possess these ornaments
The simplest form of jewel or ornament
worn by the natives is the thick gold or
silver wire twisted into bangles or brace
lets. The latter are made by the silver
smith, to whom the poor Hindu betakes
himself when he has saved a few rupees
These are soon melted and beaten up into
the necessary article Of ornament and
hoard. Silver is also hammered into
brooches and torques in imitation of knot
ted grass and leaves, while armlets, ank-
lets. and much like are freely fabricated
Solid or hollow gold Jumps in the form of
cubes and Octahedrons strung on red silk
appear as another form of stored wealth.
As may be supposed, the gods of India.
which are many. absorb much of the mol
ten gold and silver of the country One
notable design is called Swami and con-
slsts of an ornamentation of figures of
Hindu gods in high relief beattn out from
the surface, or fixed by solder or screws
In southern India there are vast stores of
gold and silver in the temples. The poor
people have no boxes or safes in which to
place their valuables, and so they general
ly put their hard cash and ornaments with
IN brass or bahogmas and then bury them
underground somewhere in the room in
which they sleep, preferring for this pur-
pose the ground below their beds or disused
wells and other out-of-the-way places
Jewelry stands high commercially in India
for 1t always commands a ready sale. A
jewel there is a veritable ''job-giver," as
the origin of the word implies. 1t is
reckOned the most solid kind of wealth {;
and the fortunes are never counted with
out estimating the value of the stock of
JS"Clo' IhCy pcllOIll SIedt Hldtl lntOnl-
al function, the poorest bride having her
dowry, often equal in value to several
years of the bridegroom's income One
of the greatest boasts of the iewelry owner
is that his boards are not taxed for he may
be possessed of jewelry worth 100000
rupees and yet pay no income tax, for the
simple reason that the boards yield him no
income.
But boards take also the form of coined
money and bullion or bars of gold as well
as jewery. At the present time it is be-
lieved that 10 million British sovereigns
are boards in India. chiefly in the Bombay
presidency, where the impression on them
of st. George and the dragon appears to
be valued on religious grounds. There are
also vast quantities of the native coinage
stored, the mohur being the principal coin
in boards. 1t is of gold and of the weight
and fineness of a silver rupee, its value be-
ing about COS. This boarding absorbs all
the gold that pours into India, and
very much of the silver, although the lat
ter is the circulating medium As the ma
tives get wealthy they prefer gold.