The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-03-02
THEREOF OF ALL EVIL
MONEY AND THE VARIOUS TERMS
USED TO DESIGNATE 1T.

Value-The Names Of the Various Coins
Z OF e b Great World.
Ir Great Britain at the time of the
Norman conquest were two kinds Of
money-"living money" i. e., slaves and
cattle, and "dead money" that Of metal.
In the 18th century Nicolo and Matteo
Polo found a money in use in China
which was made of the inner bark of the
mulberry tree, and which it was death
by torture to counterfeit or to refuse to
take in any part of the country. Among
the South Sea islanders iron was so
valued that it became money, and axes
a standard of payment, the value Of other
articles being stated at so many axes.
Cowrie shells are used as small coins in
India, the East Indian islands and Africa,
more than 900 tons being brought to
Liverpool in 1851 from India to be ex-
ported to the African coast in exchange
for palm oil. In America wampum was
used by the Indians and was even coun-
forfeited in 1886 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-Novgorod in
Russia the price of tea has to be known
before the prices of other commodities
are fixed, it being the standard by which
all exchange of merchandise regulated.
In 1874 quantities of pasteboard were
coined in Holland, and in ITO 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, a slice of bread,
a pinch of snuff or dram of whisky
served the same purpose. In America
at various times raccoon, deer and bear
skins, corn, beef, tobacco and Goldfish
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 lieu of that Of metal.
And among the curious facts in connec-
ton with this subject may be noted that
the sum paid Judas for the betrayal of
his master would be, according to the
relative value of money in our day, q
little more than 40 cents, small price
with which to purchase eternal infamy.
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 as we tear off
postage stamps today.
An interesting study is found in trac-
ing ont the origin of the names of coins
familiar to us now. The American dol
lar has quite little history of its own.
In northern Bohemia is a little valley
called Joachimstal, or Joachim's valley,
and in the 10Th century the reigning duke
of this region authorized this little min
ing city or district to coin 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 change in 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 30 years been applied correctly
only to small silver coin used in Turkey
and Egypt, and which is worth from
about 5 to cents in American coinage.
The word cent comes of course from
centum, being hundredth part Of the
American dollar, the dime also meaning
atenth.
The word shilling is of Saxon origin
and Yves introduced into England by
that people. Pc. :, 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 suff1x ling" The cognomen,
Crown" of the English piece, worth
about $1.20 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 corruption Of
the word crosses" 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 f'to cut" and was so called from
the ornamental edge the piece formerly
had. The kopeck is equal in value to two
pence, as is also the reutzer in Austria,
cent in Holland, Italy, Franc. and Spain.
In the last country the 6-pseta piece,
called the escude, corresponds to the
American dollar, the pseta being the
small coin representing the monetary
standard and meaning simply '1ittle
piece" 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
culation, except those stamped with the
head Of Napoleon III, and silver pieces
Of the same issue are almost as common.
French silver coins were the best in the
world, and coins are often met with
bearing the stamp of Charles <, Louis
XVIII and Napoleon /. The franc, in
value in American money Of 20 cents,
was SO designated by King John, who
first coined these pieces in 1860. They
bore the motto lie Roi Frank" King of
the Franks, the ancient name of the
French), and were Of two kinds, one rep
resenting the king on horseback and the
other on foot. It was formerly called
the slivre" (pound) as well, though the
connection with any specified weight Is
not evident.-St Louis Globe-D Democrat.
To Form Trust.
CHICAGO, March 1.-Several of the
leading sewer, gas and water pipe