The Washington times., 1908-04-10
VARIOUS METALS
USED FOR MONEY
Egyptians Had Gold and
Silver, Greeks Copper
and Lead.
Platinum Once Used, But
Soon Abandoned by
Russia.

While the first actual coming OF money
is attributed TO Pheidon. King OF Argos.
in S95 3. c.. it must not be supposed
that there had not existed a Keen ap-
probation OF the value and uses Of
money for centuries previous to tho in
PRODUCTION OF coinage. The ancient
Egyptian had a gold and silver standard
OF currency and their money was in
the form of gold and silver ornaments.
rings and nuggets. the purchasing value
Of which depended on their weight
The Greeks improved somewhat on
this system by first marking the weight
on gold and silver nuggets so that II
would no longer be necessary TO re-
weigh them every time they were to be
used for purposes OF exchange or trade.
Then came the introduction OF gold. sill
yer. and copper nuggets OF graded uni
form sizes and value. The next step
was the molding and stamping OF discs
made from the precious metals.
Some Of these first coins were enor-
nous, the idea apparently being 20 dis
courage the greedy from attempting to
accumulate and carry around too many
Of them. There were copper coins as
large as dinner plates. While the idea
10 give way before the demand for
smaller and more convenient forms Of
currency and the giant pennies soon
dWindled in size to meet the popular dc
msnd.
as money is to be found in the pictures
of the ancient Egyptians weighing In
scales heaps Of rings OF gold ana SILVER
There is no actual record. however. that
these rings were what may be termed
d 6z-aI
Iron. Judging from the statement OF
Aristotle. was once extensively en-
ployed as currency Lead has also
served as money. In fact, 1t sim does
Conner has been more widely en-
Moved as money than either Of the two
last mentioned metals. The early He
brew coins were chiefly composed OF
It. while down to 26O 3. g the sole 10
man coinage was an alloy or copper
Tin money was once used IN Eng
land probably on account Of the rlch
fin mines Of Cornwall. Early EngIlsh
coinage contained much OF this TN
money. principally in the form or farth-
Silver formed the basis for the carry
Greek coins, and was introduced IN
Rome 26g r. c Medieval money was
principally composed Of silver.
The only other metals for money are
platinum and nickel The former was
coined for a short time by the Russian
government and then given up as un-
suitable The latter is used as an alloy'
and in this country for the scent piece
Familiarity referred 20 as nickel
Coined money was first used on the
continent of Europe twenty-five years
before the Christian era 1t was IN
copper and silver. Cold was not coineo
there till the eleventh century, and
money did not receive the round form
10 which we are accustomed until the
lapse of another hundred years or so
The Oldest coin in the United States
is owned by a Southern collector IL
was minted about the year 200 y. . ID
Aegina. The design in high relief rep
resents a tortoise crawling across the
face OF the piece.
-The swiss were the 1rSt to date their
coinage. They introduced the dated
coin 400 wears ago. and the style was
universally adopted within a very short
The coin OF smallest value ever IS
sued is the mite" so called. Such as
the widow Of the Bible story con-
hexagonal and It's face value one-hf-
tieth of a cent Five thousand mites
are equivalent in value OF one Ameri-
can dollar.
Probably the qUeeTest coins in the
world are the rOundish. Irregular Jumps
of silver used in SIAM They vary In
size from that Of walnut 70 halt-
buckshot shot, according TO the value
represented.
Au kinds Of gllesses have been made
as 70 the number OF 81 bills that would
he required 10 equal the weight Of a
$ gold piece. The guesses range. as
a rIile. from about 90 TO 800. And when
a humCrist il the subtTeaSury asks a
visitor which he would prefer. all the
S gold pieces he could lift or the same
weight in 81 bills. the visitor inmedi-
atelv votes for the bills. imagining as
Ie does that the proportion will be
about 10 to l in favor Of the bills as
against the gold A n matter OF fact.
there is very little difference between
The weight OF one s. gold piece and
five 81 bills To be exact just six and
One-half bills will balance the s. gold
piece.-EXchange