The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-19
COINS OF THE WORLD.
NATIONAL MUSEUM TO ExHIBIT
THEM AT TIE COLUMBIAN FAIR.

+ NATIONAL MUSEUA To 46lblI
THEM AT TIE COLUMBIAN FAIR.
How Change Was Made-Metel Cash
in Strange Shapes-'fKnife Money"
"Rin9 Money" and "HoE Money"
Odd Things Used for q Medium Of
Exchange-Mintages of Columbus
Time.
From the Wdshinoton Star.
The National museum is preparing for
the worlds fair an exhibit Of its collections
OF coins and other metal money, which,
though among the most remarkable in the
world, have not hitherto been shown to the
public. They include ever so many quaint
and curious specimens, both ancient and
modern. representing the Development Of
this medium Of exchange incidental to the
progress Of mankind. Whereas now among
all civilized nations such objects have inva-
riably the shape of disks stamped with
values, 1t is surprising to find how many
odd and even grotesque forms gold and
silver, copper and bronze have been wrought
into during past ages for use as ready
cash.
KNIFE MONEY.
Among the oddities Of this kind possessed
by the museum are pieces of the knife
money" which was circulated in China as
late as the first century Of the Christian era.
Ihese coins, If such they may be called, are
OF iron and have somewhat the shape of
razors, being about six inches long. Their
peculiar form was derived from an ancient
custom which made knives a medium OF
barter. They were worth cents. In the
year 10 A. ID. the reigning emperor, who,
a fFzyH a. Il
large numbers of them to be gi!ded, fixing
au arbitrary value of so cents apiece on
those which were treated in this way. I'm
fortunately the gliding soon wore off, which
circumstance inspired widespread dissctis~
faction with the improved currency, and
on this account it was abandoned. AT pres
ent Jumps OF gold, commonly in the shape
OF shoes, are employed in China to repre-
sent large sums being stamped with their
value by the government.
GOLD ORNAMENTS.
Other interesting specimens are pieces Of
ring money" such as were worn as orna-
ments anciently III Great Britain, as we'll ss
by the old Gauls. Those barbarians used
to carry their entire fortunes on their per-
sons In the shape of articles wrought out OF
gold and other metals. These objects were
only incidentally for purposes of adorn-
mept. Their most important use was to
were n ade of standard weight and purity,
like modern coins Often they were SO con-
structed as to be readily divided into two or
more equal parts In the year 100 speci-
men was dug up i'll Staffordshire, England,
containing three pounds and two ounces Of
pure gold. In was four feet long and so
flexible that 1t could be wrapped around the
arm like snake. In comparatively recent
times 1t has been customary for travellers
Journeylng through a strange country to
pay their way by detaching one link after
another OF golden chain.
SALT AND TEA FOR CHANGE.
The museum collections include all sorts
OF curious things which have been used in
lieu OF coin or other money by different
races of people all over the world For ex-
ample, in Abysslnia, the country Of Prince
Rasseias, bars of salt are employed to this
day for small change. The salt Is dug out
OF the Sofia mountain and carried to the
kings store house, where it Is nodded into
bricks for the purpose. Tribes of men who
live far from the sea in parts of the earth
where commerce Is difficult regard salt as a
great luxury, 80 that it Is utilized profltably
In barter with them. Tea, pressed into bricks,
Is common circulating medium in Siberia,
in parts OF which the prices of all other
commodities are absolutely regulated by the
price OF tea. sAln the central part of South
America, even at the present time, pins,
soap and eggs are current as money.
When Columbus landed the aboriginal In
dlAns were using for the same purpose
disk-shRped pieces cut out of human skulls,
the teeth Of alligators and the tusks and
other bones Of the extinct mastodon, as we'll
as 'wampum" made from shells
COINS FROM THE SEA.
Some of the Indians who lived near the
ocean procured from the sea very beauti-
full coins ready made, These were fur
nished by marine animals called "crinoids,"
which resemble plants in the manner of
their growth. Certain varieties Of crinelds
are covered with limy disks. each of which
bears a star with rays, aud these disks served
admirably for money. The early set
tiers in America we're SO at loss for cash
that corn, peas and goldfish were current IN
New England. In revolutionary days
musket bullets of full bore were made by
law legal tender as small change In Massa-
chusetts, though nobody was compelled to
accept more than twelve of them at one
payment. This regulation served incident
ally as military provision, It being desr-
able that every household should have a
private stock of ammunition. At the same
period shell money was in common circula-
ton in New England. the best black she'll
beads being worth 10 per cent more than
silver, weight for weight. In Virginia to-
bacco was the best accepted currency a
century ago. 1t is worth mentioning, by
the way, that the ancient Hebrews used pre-
oious stones as money to large extent,
THE EARLIEST AMERICAN COINS
included in the museum collections are
those which were minred by Cortez by per-
mission from the Spanish crown, They are
OF copper and the design on one side repre-
sents she Pillars of Hercules. They we're
issued at about the date of Columbus death.
In this connection 1t is interesting to record
the fact that In 1869 Gel. Montgomery
Melgs was stationed at Corpus Christi, Tex.
A fishermen living near by on Padre Island
gave him In change a copper coin OF the
Columbus epoch, bearing the portraits of
Ferdinand and Isabella. When questioned
regarding it, he would not tell where he
got 1t, but 10 was learned that he had been
passing similar coins in great numbers in
the town. On investigation it was found
that he collected them on a part of the
beach of Padre Island, where they were
washed up by the waves in considerable
numbers, some of them csmeuted together
in chunks and all OF them blaokened by
age and corroded ty sea water. There
could be no doubs that they we're part of
the treasure OF a Spanish galleon
which was known to have been
sunk In the time Of Cortez, about
1920. The coin secured by Gen. Meigs
he gave to the museum.
HOG MONEY.