Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-11-25

bought and sold as any other commodity.
AT the beginning of the Chinese period
yuen-seu the "phi-pi' money. which had
been much used. was still in circulation.
the name meaning valuable skins" and
consisted of pieces of parchment made
from the skins of the white deer bred
within the palace walls. The phi-pi were
of Chinese square foot in size, orna-
mented with gold painting and embrod-
cred at an arbitrary value of 4O0. 600 cop
per coins, or cash. Being too bulky to
carry, a small piece was cut from each
as a token of possession. Ownership was
proved when the small piece in the hand
fitted the hole in the phi-pi.
In the reign of Emperor Wuti, during
the first year of the period yuen-seu, the
imperial treasury was almost empty and
the "son of heaven" with all his minis
tiers, deliberated upon the grave financial
question The result was that, as there
was large amount of silver bullion and
tin in the privy treasury, an order was
issued forbidding the breeding of the
white deer which had formerly been kept
within the imperial palace to supply
leather for the phi-pi money. The en-
peror then issued an edict that a new me-
tallic currency be instituted forthwith.
The edict was brief; the document is
unique: THE emperor orders a white
metallic currency of a mixture of silver
and tin. Considering that in heaven there
is nothing superior to the dragon, and on
edTtI lOlHlHS superior lO lHe uOiSe, anu
among men nothing superior to the tor
toise; therefore, there shall be three kinds
of metallic coins.'
The first of these coins were therefore
circular in shape, with the device of a
dragon. and valued at taels. or 1900
cash, the inscription being tswan, mean
ing regulator" The second was square.
with Il square hole in the center, the de-
vice being horse. and the value 500 cash.
The third was smaller in size and weight
and Oblong. the device being a tortoise.
ard the value 800 cash. These last were
called Wang. in honor of the emperor.
In 1904 a silver dollar was struck, val
ued at shillines. by the Bank of Eng
land, for circulation in China and the
orient. The United States trade dollar
was also issued in 1876 for the same trade.
The Chinese call the English 5-shilling
of King George, and the American trade
dollar Precious Goose" or Flying
Hen dollar" and sometimes devils head
money" from the eagle and the head.
The Chinese government has now no gen.
eral mint, and the only legal tender cur
rency in China is the Bronze or copper
coin called "cash."
Foreign coins are only accepted in Chi
ma at the bullion value, and they pass
from hand to hand are stamped with the
chop or private mark of the last owner
as a guarantee value. This custom in a
in circulation that they are taken and
cast into sycee's, upon which the chop
or private mark of the mint master and
even the men are indeliby stamped.
This then lis the period of history COW
cred by the POPS coins in the Glover col
lection and now on exhibition at the ma
tiOnal museum, and the conditions as
stated in this brief resume are all to be
found in this interesting collection. Inc
coins are all originals and the extreme
age of the oldest coin is almost beyond
the scope of the imagination. This coin
is of the ku-Pu dynasty ard was IN CIR
culation 10 B. c. Previous to TINS date
the coinage of China is a matter OF my
thology. This antique coin greatly resem-
bles the coins in use in China today, be
ing circular with a round hole in the CEN
ter. The characters on this coin are ieS-
ible to a surprising degree. but there are
very few Cinnamon of the present Gay
who can translate the inscription. AT THIS
period too the trade Of the country was
greatly by barter and with this com are
shown the miniature spades and lmpie-
ments which were used as money.
Then follows type such as knives ana
form of dresses, the knife shape being m
troduced about 200 B. c. ana changed III
the course of time to a shape nearly re-
sembling a Yale key. From TINS tlfne TO
the present day the coins follow much the
same form, except for a Few CONS Whicn
were introduced for short time ABOUT
$50 A. D. These last are oblOng IN shape.
and have an inscription which states tn aad
they were reduced from 500 casn TO So
cash. The collection also contains I'VE