The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-31
Monkeys Teeth and Other Queer
Things Pass as Money

When Belzu became dictator Of Bo-
| livia he established a paper currency not,
| be 1t noted, a currency of redeemable
| notes. but a currency af actual paper
money.
This he attempted to compel the peo-
| pie to accept and use at its face value,
| his idea being to utilize the whole OF the
| available supply Of coined jsilyer-which
| he had already seized so far as lay In his
power-for foreign purchases Of arms and
ammunition.
or course, the attempt was foredoomed
| to failure. and 1t is now chiefly remem-
bered on account of the bitter jest ut
| tered in connection Herewith by Mel
garejo. Belzu's rival and successor.
"In Bolivia" he is reported to have
said while addressing the national assem-
bly,, paper Is worth normally about
cents pOund-until the president gets
hold of 1t and starts converting IL INTO
money. Then its value Immediately de-
preciates 80 per cent"
In certain parts of Australia the abo-
rigines utilize as money sort OF tough
| greensboro, which is quarried ana cut
into circular slabs of various sizes, tne m
| largest being as big and heaVy as an OF
binary grindStone.
bacco a legal currency. and 1t is used IN
| the Yaquis of Northern Mexico, and
among many of the Dyak tribes.
Rice and oats, as likewise the fiat, hard
loaves into which the peasants oahe IL IL
Norway, although, of course, nelther Is
recognized as legal tender by the gov
ernment.
maize, cocoanuts, and liZard-skins con-
stitute at this present moment the reg
ular currency Of various isolated peoples
in different parts of the globe.
Among the Indians of British COLOMBIA
haiquashells are favored, to the exclusion
of all other mediums of exchange; while
cowrie-shells possess, OF course, an al
most worldwide reputation in the same
connection.
Indeed their use had, towards the mid
die of the latter half of the last century,
spread practically all over Central Africa
and had been introduced besides INTO va
rious parts of Asia.
Cowrie currency is now, however, be-
ing displaced by silver and gold, although
It is still common in many OF the coun-
In Siam. for example, s,4OO cowries are
equal to 'tical," or about eighteen
pence. While in Muniyoma. not many
years ago, they were SO abundant that,
according to Barth, the kings annual
revenue was thirty million shells.
OF coins proper, as distinguished from
do duty for money, perhaps the most
curious are the huge iron dollars as
they are termed by outside traders, which
are occasionally met with circulating
among the peaSantry of Manchuria.
The largest gold coin in existence, 1t
may be mentioned, is the Annamese
"loof." 1t is worth about G63, and its
value is written across the face of it in
Indian ink.
Notwithstanding this precaution. how
ever, they are not looked kindly upon
by the Europeans, for the natives have
a playful habit of saving the huge coins
in two and scooping out the interior gold.
Lead is then inserted to maintain the
proper weight, and the edges are soldered
together so skillfully that to detect the
Joining is impossible, save with the aid
of a powerful magnifying glass.
The smallest coin In the world having
a genuine circulation is probably the MAJ
tese grain" a tiny fragment of bronze
about as big round as the top of slate
pencil, and worth only one-twelfth of a
insignificant as they are however, both
In point of size and value, these grains
circulate largely among the poorer classes
of Malta.
Not long ago proposal was madN to
withdraw them, substituting instead the
ordinary British farthing But so much
opposition did It create that it was quick
ly dropped, and last year a new issue was
made there with King Edwards profile
stamped upon It.