The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-01

| current in China at a value OF $1.61 in
| United States money.
| The gold coinage primarily intended as
| presents to princes and dignitaries was
| rarely, If ever, used by the mercantile or
| aboring classes. The principal gold coin
| was called kim" a pound of gold, and
! was issued by the Tsue dynasty ll22 Il c..
at value of p taels. This dynasty was
dethroned 81 y. c. by Prince Tsung, and
| China became united empire. The inn
| perial gold coin was then called vi, and
was valued at 20 taels. Ever since the
reign of Wang-Mang the Chinese have
dsused gold as money, and II is now
bought and sold as any other commodity.
At the beginning OF the Chinese period
yuenseu, the "phi-pf 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 q Chinese square foot in size, orna-
mented with gold painting and embroidery
at an arbitrary value of 10000 copper
coins or cash Being too bulky TO carry
a small piece was cut from each as tok-
en- Of possession. Ownership was proved
when the small piece In the hand fitted
the hole In the phi-pi
In the reign Of Emperor Wuu, during
the first year Of the period yuen-seu, the
imperial trea sury, was almost empty ana
the Son Of Heaven" with all his minis
tiers, deliberated upon the grave financial
question. The result was that, as there
was a large amount OF silver bullion and
tin in the privy treasury an order was is-
sued forbldding the breeding Of the white
deer which had formerly been kept with
IN the imperial palace 10 supply leather
for the phi-pi money. The emperor then
issued an edict that "A new metallic cur
rency be Instituted forthwith. The edict
was brief. The document is unique; Tine
emperor orders white metallic curren-
cy Of a mixture Of silver ana TN. Consld-
ering that in heaven there Is nothing SUI
perior 90 the dragon, and on the earth
nothing superior to the horse, ana among
men nothing superior TO the tortoise,
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 al taels or 1000 cash,
the inscription being tswan. meaning
regulator" The second was square, with
a square hoie ia the center, the device be-
ing a horse, and the value 30 cash. The
third was smaller IN size ana weight ana
oblong. the device being a tortoise, ana
the value 900 cash These last were called
Wang len honor Of the emperor.
In 1901 q silver dollar was struck valued
AZ 3 shilling. by the Bank OF England, for
United States trade dollars was also is
sued ln 1876 for the same trade. The Chin
csc cal the English 5-shlling pieces FOR
elgn face money" from the cut Of King
George. ana the American trade dollar
"precious Goose" or Flying Hen Dol
lar" and sometimes Devils Head
Money" from the eagle ana the head. The
chinese government has now no general
mint. aud the only legal tender currency Ia
china IA che bronze or copper coin called
cash"
Foreign coins are only accepted in China
a. the bullion value, and aa they pass from
hand 10 hand are stamped with the shop
ar private mark OF the laat owner as a.
guarantee OF value. This custom Ia a
rhori time 80 badly mutllates the moneys
ln circulation that they are taken and cast
into ayceos. upon which the shop or pri-
vafo mark OF the mint muater ana even the
men are lndellDy stamped
This. then. Us the period % history COW
cred by the 2,02j coins lu the Glover collec-
tlon and now ON exhibition nt me national
museum. aud he conditions ns stated Oh
this brief resume SIRE 40 no BE- found Do
THE interesting collection The coins
are 90 originals. and tno extreme ago of
fhe oldest coin o. almost beyond SCOPE 0f
fhe lmng nation. This coin b. 0f the $50.
90 dynasty ana was Dol cifcuilUon 1lQ B.
q. Previous ~ th.a date the coinage Of