New-York tribune., 1907-11-25
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
RELIGIOUS CHARACTER OF MONEY.
Greeks and Romans Put Gods and Goddesses
on Their Coins.


Sir: I write not TO express another opinio on
the much discussed inscription. In God We Trust.
that has been omitted from the new $40 gold
pieces. for the strongest arguments have been
expressed on both sides, and the President has
divided public opinion by his strong letter in which
he gives his reasons for the omission.
write 70 show in brief the place that religion
had upon the coinage of ancient Greece and Rome
for some seem TO think that it is a mystery in
modern. coinage acco int for the appearance Of
the inscription in question though it
innovation to recognize the Deity piece of
money for current exchange.
The science OF numismatiCs abundantly shows
that from the early history of coinage among the
Greeks and Romans their religion insepa-
rable from their money from their daily thought
and life
In fact, the very word money IS derived from the
temple OF Juno Moneta, in Rome for within its
precincts the public mint established
Just as. the history OF the GreeKs and Romans is
inseparably connected with their religion in like
manner was their money identified with their
ligion. bearing the images and superscriptions or
their gods and goddesses. The effigies or symbols
or these We're stamped upon the gold. silver and
bronze coins so that their vast pantheon is repre-
sented in variety OF religious types on the money
that circulated for domestic and national use CON
tanning the familiar images OF Jupiter Saturn.
Neptune Mars. Mercury Apollo. Hercules. Vulcan
Juno Venus, Diana, Cybele. Athene, Arethusa
Astarte, PersephOEe. Apis, Arubis, etc
These images Of their deities served as guardians
or the genuine character of this all important
medium of exchange, and appeared as Il guarantee
that the money was Of the required weight and
purity FOR the monetary heresy of recent times
had not led their people to believe, even Curing a
political campaign, that 90 cents worth of silver
was equal to 100 of gold
Ihe coins were generally stamped with the image
OF the local guardian deity else with the recog-
flized symbol of that deity. just as the coins of
Athens bore the effigy Of Palas and the owl the
symbol of that goddess. Thus on coin of Ciaud,ls
anu anu AeIIppiha we have preserved one Of the very
best eXtant copies of the famous and much vere-
rated image Of Diana of the Ephesans." whose
Jealous followers opposed the work of the Apostla
19ui III their clty' AS that same image appears on
'0ii' VI Fhihp the Arab, we may conclude that
the worship of the many breasted Asiatic nature
turies later cast '"o cen
81 SCI olupulousiy guarded was the religious char
-, u me coinage OF the Greeks in placing the
images OF their deities upon their Nancy tha. :,
~a0 not until after the death of Alexander tta
Great that the effgy OF a human being received +i
uiSuhcuon- Nor did Alexander himself with all
@ .-.o 'eiIedctHhg worldwide ambition, presume TO
usuip 'He place reserved for the gods by. placing
ms own image there, for though he was sun.
planter Of kings and the rulers OF earth he did M,
attempt to supplant deities. He did dare 10 dis
card from the face of his coins the we'll known
elhgleS or the hereditary gods Acres and Apollo
and substituted those of Paas HerakIes and the
Zeus OF Olympia, but he refrained from introducing
his own 1t until after he had comnIeted
his DnlIlant earthly career and passed from the
eyes OF men that his ap6sheosis took place and
when dazzed by his seeming superhuman achieve
ments the people assigned him place among the
gods. it was only logical sequence that I.vsima-
chus and Ptolemy gave him the supreme and d.
vine distinction by placing his somewhat idealized
portrait upon their coins, although Palas was re-
tanned on the reverse OF the former and Zeus was
enthroned on the reverse OF the latter so that the
gods stn retained their ancient seats upon the
money.
The same custom was followed by the Romans
NJ Of nad NhoN~
rulers and distinguished Of the court; but
on the reverse they often gave place TO the efHges
and names of their gods and goddesses. So gen
eral was this custom of stamping the Greek and
Roman money with religious types that the half
shekel became necessity for the maintenance of
the temple at Jerusalem, and no wonder that the
priests refused the money for the sacred
tribute Of the sanctuary and obliged the people to
have it exchanged for the half shekel. which was
free from all pagan devices. In commercial value
it was Identical with the two drachna or the two
denarli that were current in Palestine. but have
put money containing the images and symbols of
pagan gods into the treasury OF their holy temple.
erected TO the worship OF god, would have been
sacrilege to the faithful Jews.
The early Christians were embarrassed with the
same religious character of the money. for they
were obliged to use for the most sacred purposes
of their holy religion the gold. silver and bronze
coins of imperial Rome and Greece that bore the
images and types of pagan mythology that they
repudiated. They cherished a different faith.
the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the
Church at Corinth: There is God but one.
For though there be that called gods. whether
in heaven earth; there gods many,
and lords many; yet to us there is one God, the
Father, of whom all things and unto him,
and Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
all things. through him" 1t must have
been a great JOY TO the Christian Church when
after the accession Of Constantine the Great they
saw the labarum and symbols Of Christ appear on
the imperial coinage. but their hearts must have
sunk again when later his nephew. Julian the Phi
losopher in his zeal TO restore paganism suppaut-
ed the Christian symbols with pagan devices. and
placed on the money the figure of Apis. banshng
every suggestion of the and of that religion
SO dear to the struggling Church. And how sud
denly that sorrow was turned into JOY for with
the death of Julian, Jovianus ascends the throne.
and the image Of Apis disappeared and the sym
bols of Christ appeared again the coinage of
Rome JEREMIAH ZIMMERMAN.
Syracuse, Nov 20, 1907.