Evening star., 1938-09-17
OF STARS,
MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Prosres.
in Field, Laboratory
and Study.
By THOMAS r. HENRY

and Study.
By THOMAS r. HENRY.
CAMBRIDGE, England (By MaiD.-
The origin of money, as might be sus-
pected, is mixed up with women, which
may be one reason why bank accounts
and matrimony have been SO closely
related ever since.
The large collection OF primitive me-
diums Of exchange in the Cambridge
chronological collections, Mrs. A. Kingston
Quiggin, the assistant curator, explained
to the British Association for the Ad-
vancement Of Science recently, show
clearly that money started in the world
chiefly in the form Of presents exchanged
for bride.
Hitherto, she said, economists have ad-
vanced two theories, both almost Ger
tainly wrong. One is the so-called hun
cry halter theory. According to this,
during the days Of pure barter rlrcum-
stances often arose when the halter, for
example, couldn't find a farmer who
needed hat and was willing to trade
buShel OF wheat for 1t. So the hatmaker
had to 90 hungry until he and all the
other makers of things in the same fix
hit upon the device OF a common medium
Va NhSAAoAA6S, CooSAACAoiAy s0AuClCoS AL lLSCll
except for the common understanding
that it was to be universally accepted as
the symbol for something else. The other
is the "coconut theory" which holds that
some object which everybody used all the
time, such as coconutS on certain Pacific
islands, naturally developed into mediums
Of exchange.
Both these theories, Dr. Quiggin said,
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the most primitive types of money assem-
bled in the Cambridge collection are
neither objects without inherent value
nor things OF universal usefulness. But
they all fit into the bride price category.
In almost all primitive societies when
a wedding takes place between two fami-
lies there is lavish exchange of pres
entS, all valuable in the particular pattern
OF culture. Actually this does not mean
that the bride is being purchased, but
are tokens of good will to cement friend
ship between the families. In the most
primitive societies girls are not considered
for sale.
But eventually, DR.. Quiggin said, such
giving of presents becomes somewhat
standardized, SO that a prospective groom
is expected to present certain amount
OF goods to the brides father Then even
the nature of the goods to be given be-
comes standardized, lest the father have
an excuse for thinking himself insuted
because he gets less for his daughter
than some other man.
BY this means, she pointed out, grad
ually standard OF value is fixed in the
community to which other things can be
referred, and this eventually becomes
money. The customary bride gifts" are
the only things TO which any standard
value has been attached by common
agreement. Then, as the society becomes
sui more complex such glftS-coWS, for
eXample-becOme too inconVenient me-
dium OF exchange and are replaced by
symbols.
Another original form Of money, she
explained, Is the Wergelt, or present eX-
changed when two family groups which
have been carrying on feud decide to
bury the hatchet. The friendship is
sealed with an exchange OF presents.
IheSe presents also tend to become
standardized, both in kind and amount,
SO that they naturally are turned into
money when the need for it arises.
The idea OF actually inventing some
thing to take the place of pure barter,
she said, never would have occurred to
the primitive mind and even today say
age tribes usually resent the introduction
OF money. Trading to them is one of the
things that makes life worth living The
chief sport aside from killing each other,
is trying to best the other fellow in
bargain and this becomes virtually an
impoSsibility to the primitive mentality
when symbols are exchanged instead of
actual commodities.
Even today, She insisted. almost half
the world has not adopted ANYTHING
which really fulfills the definition of
money. although foreign money has been
introduced among most peoples by white
traders. But even this they have adopted
grudgingly and without any real under
standing. Within historical times there
has been bitter opposition to the intro
duction Of money because of the quite
Justiflable realization that 1t was means
by which natives could be cheated and
enslaved
European and American money. it was
pointed out, descend directly from the
cattle, "pecunia," which were given a
bride prices and peace offerings by the
ancient peoples of the Near East. Thus
cattle came to have standardized value.
But when the need for medium of
exchange arose with the beginnings of
organized commerce it was very cumber-
some to drive herd of cattle hundred
miles to pay BILL so piece of the hide
OF COW was adopted as a symbol, or
promise to pay.
Among some primitive tribes especially
in Africa, the bride price money gradu-
ally developed, perhaps due to disputes
over values, into making the bride herself
the medium of exchange So now when
"a man wants to purchase something from
his neighbor and the deal cannot be car
ried out by straight barter he may pay
for it in so many wives, who themselves
have nothing to say about the deal. They
are, and are willing to consider them
selves, just part of their husbands bank
account.
Perhaps the most prevalent of all forms
of money in primitive times, she said, was
the cowrie shell, which was highly priced
as an ornament and so was often given
as bride price" The wampum of the
American Indian may be considered a
variation of this.
Waiting ImpatientIy.
From Tho {rhp Nnr