Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-11-12
Coins Disappear as Result Of the War

WITS disappear dS nSSutS OF SuS
One of the strangest results of the
war was the rapid disappearance ot
coinage from the worlds currency.
England has been very fortunate. hav-
ing lost only her gold. But on the
Continent gold. silver and in MANY
cases even copper, have disappeared
from circulation.
France has paper money as low as
50 centimes-equal to five-pence in nor
NAL times-and during the years 1915
II actually had paper notes of % CEN
times valSe. Her silver has not been
withdrawn but it is very rare. The
constant moving about of British troops
during the war kept it in circulation
to some extent in the northern parts,
at any rate.
Germanys lowest paper. note is ter
pfennig-two cents normally This Is
also the value Of her highest coin.
During the war her whole coinage was
changed. Gold and silver were with
drawn and an iron coinage substituted.
To foster the spirit of patriotism. a
standard ring was made which WIS
worn as sign of loyalty by all Ger
mans that had surrendered any orna-
ments to the state. The ring bore the
words, Gold CAB CHI fur eisen, 1914. -
Gold I give for iron. 1919.
Today even the iron money has dis
appeared and the only coins left in
circulation are the five and ter pfnnig
pieces. There is however one exceD-
ton. In Tilsit. in East Prussia, one
can find 25-pfennig town coins.
AS result of this charge the old
laws which forbade man to smelt
coins have been repealed and now ad-
vertisements may be seen in the Ber-
lin papers offering as much as 4O5
marks for a 2o-mark gold coin and ten
marks for a one-mark silver coin.
All notes from one mark, normal
value "a cents, upward are made by
the government and are only valid in
the district of the town whose name
they bear. neither can they be ex-
changed abroad.
In the occupation Of Russia by the
German army from 1915 until the
armistice. the Germas military au-
thorities made special paper .urren-
cy called ost-geld. upon which one may
read the abortive. attempt T., ,Prsls-
sianize the Baltic states. AT SJirst the
German mark existed side by side
with the Russian rubie. In APRIL, 1915,
the first ost-geld notes and coins We're
issued
In the printing of the notes the
Russian language was entirely igner-
ed. One side of the paper was written
IN,
uanian. The people were not yet ac.
customed to the German unit of cur
rency. so the Russian unit, the ruble.
was retained. In the second ISIS lie.
printed at Kovno in April. 1918, Lita-
uania was a recognized German prov
fnce and so the mark replaced the
ruble on the notes. Strange to say,
Lithuania has made this money her
national currency. bearing though 1t
does the stamp. writing and signatures
Of her oppressors.
For the most curious collection of
paper money one must turn to Russia.
The many upheavals since rhe arst
revolution of 1915 have placed the print
ing blocks in so many different hands
that money has been turned out indis-
criminately.
In fact, it only needs little skill in
engraving and printing to issue money
which will find currency in one part
or another Of that vast and unsettled
land.
In spite of the great changes of gov
eminent. the old car ruble Is stu IN
circulation. Nobody knows who has
the printing blocks but the stun is
still being printed and Is always well
coined by the peasant in preference to
the new currencies, which ne does not
trust.
And, in addition. all the governments
Of Russia have made their paper
money and circulated It. Kerensky,
Kolchak. Yudenitch. Denekine-all had
their own currency. Even the adven-
turer. Bergmond. who. toward the end
Of last year. raided the Baltic prov
inces left behind a paper currency
printed in German and Russian. -Lon-
don Answers.
Watching Life Of Plants
From fuller information. now at hand
in regard to the machine by aid CT
which the Indian scientist, Sir J. c.