The times., 1899-09-24
A COSMOPOLITAN COIN.
The Aid 1t Would Re TO Travellers in
All Countries.
(From the Philadelphia Enqlirer.)


For many years commeroiaIs men of all
nationalities have spoken and written on
the subject of the introduction of a sys-
tenn of coinage which should have a uni
versal standard. The proposition has
failed to meet with success Aon account
of the difficulty in persuading the people
of different countries to abandon their
own systems of coinage which appear to
them part and parcel of themselves, as
much as their language itself.
The time seems approaching" said n
Philadelphia fnancier, when it VIII be
possible, and perhaps advisable, for the
great nations of the earth to meet in con-
vention and adopt a coin which shall be
cosmopolitan, the weight and fineness of
which might be determined by the conven-
tion. and the minting of which might be
entrusted to a body of experts made up of
representatives from all the nations who
care to enter into the project. 1t may be
some time before this comes about, yet it
would greatly facilitate international busi-
ness, especially since large international
transactions have come to be quite COM
mon. Such a coin would probably never
supplant the coin local to the various coun-
tries in which also the cosmopolitan coin
became current, yet with education taking
such strides as it seems to be doing every
where it ought not to be difficult to in
struct the children in schools in the table
of the proposed coin, and give them prac-
tical illustrations in its use. Such a coin
would not be welcomed enthusiastically by
small traders in different countries who are
wont to profit by the unfamiliarity of
travellers with the coin of the realm and
their natural bewilderment in attempting to
fix in their minds the comparative value of
orti in ~
they have always handled. but it would be
boon to the great travelling worlds pub
lie, or our globe trotting commercial
travellers, to opulent tourists and to in
digent emigrants. The current is surely
in the direction OF q universal harmonizing
of commercial interests and the elimina-
tion of ali the little tricks by which people
deal to themselves lucky cards and a rele-
cation of all things and people in trade to
sound basis of intrinsic merit
1.-The subject of cosmopolitan coin is
not new one," said George Stevenson, of
the banking firm of Sailer G. Stevenson, re-
Gently. I'm some of the aspects of the
case it appears to be very desirable 1t
has been suggested that the various COM
mercial nations agree upon a god coin,
of uniform weight and fineness, to be
given name which would be understood
coinage. Each country is to coin its own
pieces, and 10 be responsible for their ac-
curacy. The coin is to have on one side
the stamp or legend of the country coming
it, and on the other its universal name 1t
will readily be seen that with such a coin
in universal USE both in practice and ac
counts, commercial transactions would no
doubt be greatly facilitated. / do not look,
however for its early accomplishment.
Its desirability is not sufficient to over
come the long established customs of the
various countries SO as to lead them to re-
linquish the names and styles of their
various coins. Conservative England, for
instance with its cumbrous system, is not
likely to relinquish its pounds, shillings
and pence and adopt the decimal system OF
France, Germany, Italy, and the United
States. And it is not likely that the lat
ter would give up their quick and handy
decimal system for that of England. On
the whole. the idea is a very good one
but, like many other good things-lke the
proposed metrical system for instance
impossible of accomplishment for various
reasons at present.