Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-04-19

ing age, and men began to use animals
themselves instead of their skins for
circulating medium.
The animals principally employed
We're sheep and oxen, their relative val
ue being determined by the ancient
Romans at ten sheep for one OK, which
standard is still recognized among the
Mongol tribes. Traces of this custom
are still visible in the Irish and Ice
landic laws.
Among the early Teutonic races fines
were often paid in cattle, and the Zu-
lus and the Katlirs in this year Of grace
make use Of this old time medium.
A direct link between this practice
and the use Of metal coins for money is
found i'll the currency of the early
Romans, who used pieces Of brass clip
ped off from a mass.
Later, in the time of Servius Tullius,
the brass was coined and marked with
the figure of an OK. An interesting lit
tie bit Of genealogical lore is connected
With this custom, for the Latin word
for money, pecunia-whence our mod
ern tern. pecuniary-was derived from
pecus, cattle.
Metal money was used, however,
long before the time Of the Romans.
AS far back as the days Of Abraham
the Egyptians used gold and silver for
currency. 1t was counted by weight
and not by face value.
The Hebrews had "jewel money" in
addition IN nj ND 40
drains of gold and silver. On the
Egyptian tombs gold is represented as
being weighed in rings for commercial
purposes, rather an improvement, it
may be considered, on the earlier metal
lump.
Before the Introduction OF coined
money into Greece skewers or spikes
of iron and copper constituted the cur
rency six making dram or handful.
This iron money continued in use
among the Spartstns for many CEN
turtles, and Plutarch tells us that to a
great quantity and weight Of this but
small value was assigned, SO that
to lay up ten minae, little over Ell,
whole room was required, and to re-
move it nothing less than yoke of
oxen.
In certain parts of Central Africa
iron spikes are still used, after the
Spartan fashion, and, according to
Adam Smith. 1t was not so long ago
that nails were used as subsidiary
coin in Scotland: hence, perhaps, we
obtain the term "tonpenay nai"-i. e.,
ten for penny.
During the commercial supremacy of
Carthage the common currency used
by her merchants and sailors both in
their trade at home and with foreign
nations was pieces of leather stamped
with the arms Of the powerful republic.
The currency Of the Aztecs consisted
of transparent quilts of gold dust. of
bits Of tin cut In the form Of II and
OF bags of cocoon containing specified
number Of grains. BLESSED money"
eXclaims the old annalist, Peter Martyr,
(which excerpts its possessor from
avarice since it cannot be long hoard
ed or hidden under ground"
| The earliest coinage in America was
the famous ''hog money" made in 1912
for the Virginia company Mt the Sum-
mer islands, now the Bermudas. The
coin was Of brass, with the legend
"Sommcr Islands" and "hogge on
one side in memory of the abundance
of hogges which were found on the
! first landing"
The currency of the early colonists
was a very mixed one. At one time
musket balls passed for change at a
farthing apiece and were legal tender
for sums under shilling. Corn, beans,
Goldfish and peltries were also legal ten
der.
Wampum, the shell bead money of
the Indians, was the currency most
In use, however, being accepted by the
colonists as convenient token.
There were two kinds of this shell
money "wampumeag," which was
white and made from the conch or
periwinkle, and 'suckanock," which
was dark purple and made from the
hard shell clam. The purple was worth
twice as much as the white. The shell
was broken in pieces, rubbed smooth
on stone till about the thickness of a
pipestem, then pierced with drill and
strung into necklaces, bracelets and
belts.
The English, French and Dutch set.
tiers all used wampum, the value be.
ing fixed in 1G4O at six beads for q
penny. The strings were called faith.
oms and varied in value from to 1C
shillings
Shell money has played quite an i'm.
portant part In the worlds commerce
The small hard shell known as the
cowrie Is used today in India, the
Indian Islands and Africa In the place
Of subsidiary coin.
| In 1881 more than 1000 tons of these
shells were brought from India to Liv
erpool to exchange for palm OIL Theil
value In Bengal Is 5000 to the rupee
or about seventy to the cent
The list Of what may be termed curl
Gus money is an extensive one. Sal,
is used In Abyssinia and whales teetl
in the Fiji islands. In some of The
south sea islands red feathers form tile
currency. Among the native Austri
ans greensboro and red ocher are used
Female slaves form the standard OF
value In the retired districts of New
| Guinea.
In the rural parts Of Norway corn is
used for coin. Pieces of silk pass Us
currency in China and cakes Of tea In
| Tibet. AT the great fairs of lower
| Novgorod, III Russia, tin Is the accept
ed standard of value. In the British
West Indies pins, slice Of bread and q
pinch Of snuff all have purchasing
power, while on the African coast axes
are the currency most In vogue.
The strangest coin of ALL however, is
the Ideal money spoken of by Monies.
quieu rs being found in certain parts
of Africa. This singular currency is
called INA conte," but is purely II sign
Of value without a unit.-Clinton Mon.
tague III Forward.