Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-17

In dentistry throughout the world is esti-
mated at from s65,COO,OOO to sS0,OOO,OOO a
year. For those purposes about SD 600. 900
worth of this metal was used in the United
States during 1888. 1t has been reckoned
that within ten years this country will en-
ploy the whole of its gold product of $685.
100000 annually FOR trinkets, gliding and
teeth, the increase in that direction being
at the rate of 1000, 900 per annum The
consumption of silver in the arts is esti-
mated at about half that of gold. OF late
the use of gold leaf for furniture and in
terror decoration has come greatly into
fashion. The gold thus utilized is a total
loss. One gold dollar makes 100 leaves of
gold leaf OF commercial sizes by inches.
Steel for Coins.
1t has been suggested that a first-rate
material for small coins would be steel.
They would be almost indestructible, and
trifing alloy of nickel would prevent them
from rusting. Such minor pieces are mere
tokens. and their intrinsic value is of no
consequence. All sorts of odd metals have
been minted by various nations. Tin coins
were issued by Roman emperors. Tin
farth!ngs were struck by Charles II, stud
OF copper being inserted in the middle of
each piece to render cOunterfeiting more
dlfhcult. This substance would make ex-
cellent cents, being white. free from corro-
sion and of higher value than copper. But
II Is rendered impossible by it's softness and
tendency to bend and break. Money issued
by James III was composed of a mixture of
old guns, broken bells, waste copper. sec
ond-hand kitchen utensils and other re-
iuse The circulation of a rotten currency
is the last resort of monarchs in trouble.
In fact, kings have been the Sreat coun ter
letters of the world.
Coin Projections.
The French government employs a device
Tor the protection of its coinage which
Uncle Sam would DO well to initiate II
consis is in a raised lettering around the
edge of the piece of money on the edge
of 5-franc piece are the words "Dieu
protege la France"-God protects France
To reproduce this is quite beyond the coun-
terfeiter's art. A similar inscription on the
edge of our gold coins would have rem
dered impossible the dodge recently tried
with success by swindlers in this country
or clipping double eagles by reducing their
diameter and re-reeding them with ma
chine Money changers, bankers, bullion
dealers and goldsmiths make practice
of exporting, hoardir e, melting and max
irg into jewelry and gold leaf the new and
full-weght gold coin which come from the
mints. The lightweight pieces they pass
on into circulation. Thus it is said that
bad money drives out good money"
Queer Currency.
There is no more interesting subject of
study than currency. People do not real
ize how difficult it would be to get along
without it, Some years ago Mile. Zelie of
the Theatre LyriQue at Paris, on a pro-
fessional tour around the world gave a
col cert at the Society Islands, in the South
Pacific. 1t was arranged that in payment
for an air from Norma" and three or four
other selections she was to get one-third of
the receipts. Her share consisted of pigs.
% turkeys, II chickens, 5000 cocoanuts and
cor siderable quantities of bananas. lemons
and oranges. The live stock and produce
would have represented value of about
4,OOO francs in the markets of her native
city, but 1t was hardly practicable to dis
pose Of the former off-hand and the latter
had to be fed to the pigs and poultry A
joint stock company. known the African
Barter Company, limited, now existing
in London, carries on a great business on
the west coast of Africa entirely by bar
tering European manufactures for palm
Gil, gold dust, ivory, coffee, gum and other
raw products.
Eggs have been in circulation in lieu of
money in the Alpine villages of Swtzcr-
land. Nails have been similarly employed
in Scotland dried Goldfish in Newfoundland
whales teeth in the Fiji Islands, mats Of
rice straw in Angola, salt in Abyssina
beeswaX in Sumatra, red feathers in the
isles of the Pacific, tea in Tartary and iron
hoes in Madagascar. century ago to-
bacco was made legal tender in Virginia
When women We're imported into that
colony for wives for the settlers 100 pounds
of tobacco per head was charged for Them
the price being subsequently raised to 80
pounds. RENE BACHE.