The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-09
HER0OTOFALL EVIL
MONEY AND TIE VARIOUS TERMS
USED TO DESIGNATE II.

Of tI.c Great EHgII.
In Great Eritailf at the time of tie
Norman conquest were two kinds of
moncy-"Eyiug money i. t.. slaves and
cattle. and dead money" that of met5,.
In the 18th century Nicelo ana Mat o
Polo found IA money III use IN China
which wa, made of tie inner bark Of lie
mulberry tree. and which it WIS Gtati
10y torture II counterfeit OF to refus to
take III amy part of the country. Among
the South Sea ISLANDERS iron was so
valued that il became money, and axes
IA standard Of payment, the value of otter
articles being stated ut 50 many axes.
Cowrie shells are used as small coins in
India. the East Indian islands and Africa.
more than Loco tons being brought to
Liverpool in 1851 from India TO be ex-
for palm oil. IN America wampum was
used by the Indians and was even coun-
terfeited in 1885 by the colonists of Mas
sachusetts.
In India cakes of tea and in China
pieces of silk pass as money, while at the
great annual fair at Nizhnee-N ovgorod in
Russia the price of tea has to he known
before the prices Of other commodities
are fixed. it being the standard by which
all exchange Of merchandise is regulated.
In 1874 quantities Of p%asteboard were
coined in Holland, and in 100 in Scot
land workmen carried nails as money to
bake shops and alehouses. Notched
wood was used at one time in England,
and in central parts of South America
soap. chocolate. cocoanuts. eggs. ETC..
pass as money. In British West Indies
until of late years pins. Il slice of bread,
IA pinch Of snuff or u dram Of whisky
served the same purpose. In America
at various times accoon, deer and bear
have been legal tender.
The Jews. in addition to their ordinary
money Of shekels. talents and drains
Of silver. had Jewel money" To this
people we are also indebted to the use of
paper money in lien Of hat of metal.
And among the curious facts in connec
ton with this subject may he noted that
the sum paid Judas for the betrayal of
his master would be, according to the
iCAosiNO NoAuC u hipaiVS AL Jul NuS a
little NOR than 40 cents. Il small price
with which to purchase eternal infany.
The first mention of money in any of the
ancient records speaks of it as being
weighed and not counted, and no mutt
lated piece was ever rejected. Under
the Norman kings silver was coined with
deep crosses. so that smaller bits could
be obtained by simply breaking off what
was required, something rs we tear off
postage stamps today
An interesting study is found in trac-
ing out the origin of the names of coins
familiar I o us now. The American dol
lar has quite a little history of its own.
In northern Bohemia is "a little valley
called Joachimstal. or JOachim's valley,
and III the 10th century the reigning duke
Of this region authorized this little min
ing city or district to coin a silver piece,
which was called Joachimstaller. But
the Joachim part of the name proving
too much for everyday use. it was dropped
and that of thaler deemed sufficient. The
piece being Of convenient size and well
nodded passed into general use in Ger
many and Denmark. and again under
went Il change III photography, finally
turning up AS the ''daler." whence it
came into English as the dollar, and was
adopted as such by the Americans.
In France the Mexican dollar is gener-
ally called the '.piastre," and the name
is also applied to the American coin. but
in either case the appellation is incorrect,
for the name piastre. or plaster. has for
the past 80 years been applied correctly
only to a small silver coin used in Turkey
and Egypt, and which is worth from
about 5 to = cents in American coinage.
The word CEN comes Of course from
centum. being a hundredth part Of the
American dollar. the dime also meaning
q tenth.
The word shilling is Of Saxon origin
and was introduced into England by
that people. Penny. formerly ''pfen-
Mig" was also brought into England by
the Saxons and was first coined in sill
yer and originally derived from the
word '.pand." to pawn, with the diminu-
tive suffix ing" The cognomen,
Crown" Of the English piece. worth
about $l.oO in American coinage, was
first issued by Edward III and named
in consequence of the image placed upon
it. The groat was first coined by the
same monarch and is q corruption Of
the word ''grosses," in contradistinction
to the small coins or pennies. Its value
was equal to about four Of the latter
coins.
The Russian ..ruble" comes from the
verb Ito cut" and was 50 called from
the ornamental edge the piece formerly
had. The kopeck is equal in value to two
pence. as il also the kreutzer in Austria.
cent in Holland, Italy, France and Spain.
In the last country the 5-pseta piece,
called the .scude, corresponds to the
American dollar, the pseta Icing the
small coin representing the monetary
standard ard meaning simply little
For several hundred years and
until a recent date money was coined in
from 20 to 30 places in France. but all is
now issued from the mint at Paris.
Few French gold coins are now in cir