Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-07-18
Questions and Answers.


Please inform me how large room
it would take TO contain al the gold
in circulati~n? Q. r.
Many estimates have been made
of the cubical contents ofthe worlds
supply Of gold, but all must be nee
essarily unreliable from the fact that
the amount is not known even APP
proximately, estimates varying all
the way from 100000, 900 to $751;
0O0,O00,00O. Surprising that it is
S10,000.0OO,OO0, the whole, if melted
into one solid mass, could be con-
tanned in a room 80 feet square.
That so immense an amount of
wealth should be comprised in so
small space seems incredible, but
a cubic foot of solid gold is worth
$S62,3S0, and save in the csse of
precious stones, no form of wealth
Is more greatly concentrated than
the yellow metal.
What is the costilest finger ring
on record A. e.
The most valuable finger ring on
record in the history OF jewels and
jewelry was the jewel presented by
Shah Jehan to Moor Mohal, his fsv-
orite wife, the heroine of one Of
Moore's stories. According to ira
dition, it was set with diamond of
76 carats in weight, Of such purity
and brilliance that its estimated
value was 100000. 1t is said that
she wore this precious gem all her
life, and when she and her husband
we're buried side by side in the Tai
Mohal, at Agra, it was on her finger.
How true this story is cannot now
be determined, as the British Gov
eminent, which has charge of the
Tai, has steadfastly refused to allow
ths tonbs Of the royal pair to be dis
turbed, out of respect for the reyer.
ence felt for the noted monarch in
India.
What is the worlds annual pro-
duction of gold and silver?
FINANcIER.
According to the statements con-
tanned in last years report of the
Director of the Mint, the production
of gold in all the countries of the
world which collect statistics, WAS
$lT9 1865 900; OF silver, in the same
year, $2l5, 404, 600. If it could all
be kept 10 circulation there would
soon be money enough to supply the
most captious complainer about the
currency, but gold and silver have o
thousand ways of disappearing and
never coming again TO light. They
are used by millions of dollars every
year in the arts they are boarded
and never seen again they go BY
millions to India and other parts OF
Asia, and never come back. In spite
of the ceaseless drain on the stock
however, it is constantly increasing,
and there are more gold and silver
now in sight than ever before since
their use as currency was known.
For what sum did Judas betray
his Master In other words, what
was the value, in our money, of the
"pieces of silver mentioned in the
New Testament I STUDENT.
The amount of money received by
Judas for his treachery is s matter
of curious speculation to Bible stu
dents, perhaps all the mere because
there is mystery about it which
can never be solved. Two kinds o.
silver coins were in common use il
Judea at that time, the Roman de
rarius, called in common terms "a
piece of silver sometimes "a pen
n.y. and the Hebrew silver shekel
which went by the same name. |
Judas was paid in the Roman curren
| cy, each piece OF which was wortl
about Is cents, his reward was abou
| $3.50. If. however, he received BIZ
money in Hebrew shekels, each 0
which was worth SIS cents, he wa
rewarded with the more substantial
sum of $3.50. In either case, how
ever, he purchased more inlamy fo
less money than any historical char
actar.