The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-17
THE ORIGIN OF PAWNSH0P>
They were Founded in Italy by st.
Bernardine OF Siena.

The legacy Of 1000 pounds recently
beQuethed by the Marquis dc Guerry
for the redemption of objects pledged
by the poor at the Paris pawnbroklng
establishment, is an act of charity Of
kind by no means uncommon in
France, and one which is worthy OF
the religious origin of the Mont-de-
Piete.
When NJ. Santos-Dumont the pioner
of mechanical slight Won the NJ.
Deutsch de la Meurthorse prize Of A.
600 pounds, he gave half the amount
for purpose similar to that to which
the Marquis de Guerry's legacy has
just been devoted, only g stipulatln
that the money should be used
for the redemption of 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 retain
their title of Mont-de-piete, or Mount
of Piety, although it is doubtful it the
general public pauses today to think
general public pauses oday 90 hink
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 cross or
standard bearing an image of the dead
Christ on the mound for which the re-
naming two forms, as it were, are
pedestal. The italians call this image
Pieta
In every large city in which he gave
a sermon st. Bernardine mounted a
Mount of Piety, OR society for lending
small sums to the very poor on thrift
ingpledges. Before his death, branch
soieties had spread all over Italy, and
he saw the system adopted in France
as we'll. The honor of founding
pawn Office is said to have been shared
with St. Bernardine of Siena, by an
other monk of the same name-Bless-
ed Bernardinee of Feltri. Indeed, some
writers seem to place him first in the
field. Mention is made of him as
preaching in the year 1883 in the
Church of Santa Croce at Florence on
the necessity Of having Mont-de-
Pieta in that town.
The word pawn is derived from the
French term pan, meaning 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 a wealthy Italian
banker who was member of the
princely house of Medical and had
three golden pills in his coat-of-arms.
AS the reputation of the Italian bank
ers 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 if an object has been ih
pledge for twenty years and the inter
est has been paid regularly, at the ex-
piration of that period it is returned
to the owner free of all cost.
If a depositor fails to redeem a
pledge or pay the interest it 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 III
excess by the purchaser. If no such
claim is made the money is given to
the Assistance PubliQue, charitable
Institution, for the relief of the poor
Ave Maria