South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1893-12-07
FORMS OF MONEY.
SOME OLD AND ODD MEDIA OF
EXCHANGE.
Possibility of Colds Displacement by
Some Rarer NIetal-NIany PRINT.
tive Methods of Barter Among
Uncfvllizcd Races.

N N oNE1 Is subject that has
MI risen into such prominence
lV OF late that the first extra
ordinary session of tho
United States Congress since the '7Os
has been convened particularly on its
account. This event seems to be one
o! the later stages of a sort of descend
ing replacement among the metals
used In coinage, q process that has,
during the centuries and millenniums
OF human history, slowly but plainly
substituted copper for iron, silver for
copper and gold for silver, says the
Washington Star. Each of these
metals seems to have made its appear
ance AZ coin in ascending order, and
some are even ready to speculate on
the possible appearance in the future
of come still more rare and costly
metal to press the coveted yellow
standard lower in the scale, as it has
done to silver. Iridium. osmium and
palladium, metals scarcely known out
side the chemists laboratory, are men
toned, hut hardly with seriousness.
Russia, in 1928, undertook the coin
age of platinum, but the scheme was
abandoned in 1S45 because of the great
cost of minting and because of the in
stability of itsvalue. Aluminium seems
to have larger prospects of gaining a
place In the monetary system, par
ticularly ON . level below silver, with
a probability of displacing' copper, for
the intrinsic value of the material in
the prices OF lowest denomination is
now far less than the face value. The
recent discovery of means for the ex-
tensive production of the new com
petitor is made in part to account for
the depreciation of silver.
The word denoting money to the
people of one of the north European
races has an equivalent in the Lappish
language, which still retains its orig
lnal significance as the name for a skin
in common with its later use. So
money to a citizen of the United States
means golden eagles, silver dollars,
copper pennies or their paper repre-
sentatives- Familiarity with these
media gives to the innumerable other
media, that are or have been in use
among the peoples of the earth, an ap-
pearance of almost silly oddly.
But perfectly coined money is a COM
paratively recent convenience, and the
story of the development to that which
is at present in use is full of interest.
The natives of the Society Islands as
they lived not many years ago will
serve rs the subject of the first lesson.
A Partisan singer, making q profess
sional tour around the world, gave q
concert in the islands She was to re-
ceive third part of the receipts
When counted her share was found to
consist of three pigs, twenty-three tur-
keys, forty-four chickens, 5000 COCOA
nuts, besides considerable quantities of
bananas, lemons and oranges. At the
French capital all the material would
have added 800 francs to her resources,
but on the islands it was worth to her
only the value of that part which could
be consumed. =.
Other travellers among tribes where
primitive barter has d yet deyel.
oped senIetaang hdving) semblance to
a common medium of Exchange have
been given a still keener appreciation
of the advantages ,boming frofp the
use of money. Wallace, when in the
Malay Archipelago, could not seizure
supplies for dinner without a special
bargain and much pickering upon esch
occasion. Because the vendor of ed
ibles did not always happen to meet
with something desired among the ar
ticles which the party had to offer in
exchange, Mr.. Wallace and his COM
panions were often compelled to do
without q meal. These experiences
led them to hold in readiness a supply
of such articles as the natives would
invariably accept
Such was doubtless the first form of
money-any commodity which was es-
teemed by all persons, which would be
readily received at all time, and which
all desired to possess in unlimited
quantitles-the generalized value
which constitutes the lubricator of
Commerce.
Probably the most primitive money
consisted of the skins of wild animals.
The foundation of this theory is the
assumption that the earliest creatures
which could be called men were hunt
ers. The meat which was procured
did not possess the requisite durability,
the bones lacked high value, but the
dried Pelts possessed both qualities.
chronological researches, moreover,
show that the earliest races used skins
as the representative of value. CLASH
cal writer's have recorded traditions to
the effect that the earliest currency
used at Rome, Lacedemon and Garth
age was made of leather, and such
money is said to have circulated in
Russia as late as the reign Of Peter the
Great.
In time some particular skin seems
to have become the standard. This
among the sborigines about Hudson's
Bay the carly traders found to be that
of the beaver.
Some of the earliest forms in which
the crude metal was shaped were small
bars or spikes, and wire, rolled into
bracelets or rings. Abundant speci-
mems of this ring money have been
found in various parts of Europe and
Asia, and probably constituted the
first approximation to coinage. It il
said 20 be still current in Nubis.
Impressions were first made on only
some portion of the ingot, spike or
ring. The emily fiat coins were stamped
on but one side, aud rough edges pre-
vailed until comparatively recent times.
While circular coins vastly predomi-
nate, the forms into which others have
from time to time been cast are ,,,cu