Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-12-24
THE ORIGIN OF pAwNsHol,s
They Wsre Founded in Italy by st.
Bernardine of Siena.


The legacy Of $4,000 recently be-
queathed py the Marquis de Guerry for
the redemption OF OBJECTS piedged by
the poor, at The Paris pawnproking es-
adjustment, is an act OF charly OF a
kind by no means uncommon in
france, and one which is worthy OIL
The religious origin Of the Mont-de-
fiete. fn.
When M. Santos-Dumont the pio-
neer OF mechanical flight, won the M.
Deutsch de la Meurthe prize Of 1000
he gave half the amount for a purpose
similar to that to which the Marquis
ae Guerrys legacy ..As just been de-
voted, only stipuIating that the money
should be used for the redemption Oh
articles of actual necessity, such as
wearing apparel and bedclothes.
In france the state pawn Offices
and every establishment Of the kind is
state property In France-still re.ain
their title Of Mont-de-Piete, or Mount
Of Piety, although 1t Ii doubtful II the
general public pauses today to think
how they originated.
One Of the symbols of st. Bernar-
dine Of Siena, the founder Of pawn
shops, Is a green hill composed OF three
mounds, with either a cross or a
standard bearing an image Of the dead
Christ on the mound for which the re-
naming two forms, as 1t were. are q
pedestal The Italians call this image
Pieta- ssi
In every large city In which he gave
a sermon, St Bernardine mounted q
Mount Of Piety, or society for lending
small sums to the very poor on trifing
pledges. Before his death, branch So
cieties had spread all over Italy, and
he saw the system adopted In France
as well. The honor Of founding q
pawn office Is said to have been shared
with st. Bernardine OF Siena, by an
other monk Of the same name-Bless-
ed Bernardine Of Feltri. Indeed, some
writer's seem to place him first in the
field. Mention is made of him as
preaching in the year 1888 In the
Church Of Santa Croce at Florence on
the necessity Of having. a Monte-de-
Pieta In that town.
The word pawn is derived from the
French term pan, meaning a pledge,
and there is probably some connection
between the three golden balls used as
"a pawnbroker's sign in England and
the three mounds Of st. Bernardine
OF Siena- Another explanation Of the
English sign. however, Is often given.
This is that the custom Of using three
golden balls for the purpose alluded to,
can be traced to q wealthy Italian
banker who was a member Of the
princely house Of Medici and had
three golden pills in his coat-of-arms.
AS the, reputation Of the Italian bank
era grew, the bankers of other lands
England among them, also assumed
the sign Of three golden pills.
Today the national flag floating from
the doorway and the words Mont-de-
Piete placed above the entrance, alone
indicate the pawn Office in France; but
something of the charitable scheme Of
its holy founder Is still evident in the
system followed by the administration.
For instance, II an object has been in
pledge for twenty years and the inter-
est has been paid regularly, at the ex-
piration of that period 1t Is returned
to the owner free Of all cost.
II depositor fails to redeem a
pledge or pay the interest 1t Is sold at
the expiration Of fourteen months
from the date Of pledging. but even
then he has three years in which-if
the pledge has been sold for more
than the sum originally leant on it
he can claim whatever was paid in
excess by the purchaser. II no such
claim is made the money is given to
the Assistance Publique, a charitable
Institution, for the relief Of the poor.
Ave Maria.