a discourse of coin and coinage-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


first　in　Rome；　to　have　stamped　with　an　Impression　a　certain　piece
of　Money　which　was　called　As　（as　being　of　Copper；　and　weighing　a
pound　weight）　and　that　he　coyned　lesser　parts；　distinguished　by
ounces：　it　was　long　after　in　the　Consulat　of　Quintus　Fabius；　that
the　first　Silver　coin　was　made；　called　Denarius；　because　it　was
valued　at　ten　As；　and　at　the　same　time　were　made　half　and
quarters　of　the　Denarii；　called　Sestertii；　marked　LLs；　to　signifi
duas　libras　cum　semisse。　The　first　Denarii　were　made　of　Sextula
or　six　in　the　ounce：　it　was　above　threescore　years　after　'ere　any
Gold　was　coined；　the　first　pieces　were　of　such　a　weight　as　40
made　a　pound：　which　Example　of　the　Roman　Coins；　I　do　not　alledge
as　the　first；　for　it　is　manifest；　that　both　the　Median；　Persian
and　Grecian　states　did　use　Coins；　which　by　their　Impression　did
signify　both　the　weight　and　fineness；　but　because　they　were　the
first；　whereof　I　have　any　certain　relation；　and　upon　whose　ground
all　these　parts　of　the　World　have　formed　their　Coins　and　made
their　divisions　of　weight。　It　doth　now　appear　what　Allay　was
mingled　or　what　Tribute　was　charged　in　the　first　Roman　moneys　of
Gold　and　Silver；　by　which　word　of　Tribute；　I　do　understand
whatever　was　substracted　out　of　the　Intrinsical　value　of　the
Money；　and　allowed　to　it　as　an　over…value　towards　the　charge　of
Coinage；　or　right　of　Soveraignty；　rated　by　the　State；　or　what
remedies　were　allowed　for　their　weight　and　fineness；　only　it
appeareth　by　their　medals　that　they　were　cast　in　a　mold。　But
after　ages　did　grow　to　stamp　their　Coins　finding　how　useful　it
was　to　have　lesser　coins　than　could　well　be　cast　in　a　mould；　and
also　to　avoid　counterfeiting；　which　is　with　more　difficulty　in
Coins　stamped：　and　because　it　was　hard　to　observe　an　exact
proportion　of　weight；　there　was　a　certain　remedy　of　grains；
beyond　which；　if　the　pieces　of　Coin　did　not　fall　of　their　just
weight；　they　were　to　be　received　of　Officers　appointed；　otherwise
they　were　rejected　to　be　new　coyned。　There　was　a　remedy　of
fineness；　for　when　Allay　grew　to　be　mingled　in　the　Coins；　the
workmen　could　not　constantly　and　precisely　hit　upon　the　mixture；
and　therefore　had　allowed　them　a　certain　proportion　for　Remedy；
which　if　they　did　not　exceed；　their　work　was　not　subject　to
censure。　This　allowance　of　Remedy　hath　been　of　two　sorts；　for
when　States　would　coin　their　Money　strong　and　rich　in　value；　they
did　not　give　any　allowance　to　any　pieces　of　Coin　under　the　just
weight　and　fineness：　but　if　they　were　of　a　just　weight　and
fineness；　not　exceeding　the　grains　of　Remedy；　then　they　were
allowed；　so　as　in　this　case；　the　Coins　were　upon　accompt　to　be
recompence　for　so　much　as　the　over…put　in　the　Money；　being　within
the　remedy　permitted；　and　this　they　call　in　French　Battre　le
fort。　But　all　States　rather　inclining　to　make　their　Moneys　weak
than　strong；　there　is　in　these　latter　Ages　another　way　practiced；
which　is　more　general；　that　is；　that　Coins　are　not　made　one　jot
above　the　just　proportion　of　weight　and　fineness；　but
（notwithstanding）　the　fail　of　either；　so　as　it　be　no　more　than
the　grains　of　remedy；　they　are　allowed　as　compleat：　and　by　this
means；　upon　Accompt；　the　Coiners　are　to　make　recompence　to　the
State　of　so　much　as　is　short　in　their　Coins；　of　the　just　weight
and　fineness；　being　within　the　permission　of　their　remedy；　which
in　French　they　call　Battre　Sur　le　foible。　This　is　as　much　as　I
hold　fit　to　be　spoken　of　the　Antient　and　Modern　forms；　Except　I
should　discourse　of　the　Inscriptions　or　Characters；　or　of　the
Figures　of　Money；　which　in　some　times　and　places；　have　been　long；
oval；　or　square；and　are　now　almost　everywhere　round；　which　to　the
searchers　of　Antiquity　might　prove　grateful；　but　to　my　purpose
would　be　of　no　use。

Chapter　4

Of　the　Proportion　held　between　Gold　and　Silver；　Antient　and
Modern。

　　　　Use　and　Delight；　or　the　opinion　of　them；　are　the　true　causes
why　all　things　have　a　Value　and　Price　set　upon　them；　but　the
Proportion　of　that　value　and　price　is　wholly　governed　by　Rarity
and　Abundance：　And　therefore　the　Proportion　of　value　between　Gold
and　Silver　must　needs　differ　in　several　Times　and　Places；
according　to　the　scarcity　or　abundance　of　those　Mettals。　There　is
much　Variety　amongst　Authors　what　Proportions　Gold　and　Silver
held　to　one　another　amongst　the　Hebrews；　not　out　of　the
Difference　of　Times；　but　out　of　the　Difference　of
Interpretations；　for　Bodine　doth　alledge　the　same　places　to　prove
the　Proportion　was　twenty　five　for　one；　which　other　Authors　do
alledge　to　prove　it　to　have　been　45　for　one；　and　others　10　for
one。　There　is　a　Passage　in　Thalia；　of　Herodotus　（sect。　95）　by
which　it　appears；　that　Thirteen　Talents　of　Silver　were　valued　at
one　of　Gold　in　the　Revenues　of　Darius。　And　there　is　an　Opinion
received；　That　in　the　time　of　the　flourishing　of　the　Grecian
Common…wealths；　those　Mettals　were　in　the　Proportion　of　twelve　to
one。　It　is　also　reported　in　Pliny；　（without　mentioning　any
certain　time）　That　antiently　the　Romans　did　value　a　scruple　of
Gold　at　twenty　Sestertii　of　Silver；　which；　if　it　were　when　the
Sestertii　were　at　the　greatest　weight；　made　the　Proportion　of
twenty　for　one：　and　if　it　were　when　they　were　at　their　least
weight；　it　made　the　Proportion　of　fifteen　for　one。　But　there　is　a
clear　Passage；　in　the　8th　Book　（sect。　11）　of　the　4th　Decade　of
Livy；　of　an　Accord　between　the　Romans　and　AEtolians；　that　the
AEtolians　might　pay；　instead　of　every　Talent　of　Gold；　ten　Talents
of　Silver；　and　（in　Suetonius）　it　is　said；　that　Caesar；　at　his
coming　out　of　Gallia　brought　such　a　quantity　of　Gold；　that　the
Proportion　betwixt　Gold　and　silver　abated　to　seven　and　one　half
of　Silver　to　one　of　Gold：　the　abatement　had　not　been　credible；　if
the　Proportion　of　Pliny　had　been　twenty　for　one；　or　fifteen　for
one。　But　to　come　to　later　times；　and　to　our　Neighbours；　which
have　therefore　a　more　near　Relation　to　us；　both　in　time　and
place。
　　　　The　proportion　in　France；　in　the　time　of　King　John；　who　was
contemporant　with　Edward　the　Third；　was　11　for　one：　and　in　the
time　of　Charles　the　Fifth；　who　succeeded　next　to　him；　it　was　11
and　almost　12　for　one。　And　ever　since　the　Proportion　has　been
held　between　11　and　12　for　one。　But　by　the　edict　of　this　French
Kind　now　reigning；　December　1614；　the　mark　of　Gold　fine　is　valued
at　27　l。　16　s。　7　d。　the　mark　of　Silver　called　Argent　le　Roy；　is
valued　at　14　s。　6　d。　and　almost　one　half　penny。　But　adding　a　24th
part　to　the　two；　to　make　it　fine；　which　the　Silver　called　Argent
le　Roy　doth　want　of　fineness；　the　proportion　will　arise　into　13；
wanting　about　a　seventh　part　to　one　of　Gold。　In　Germany　about　the
year　1610；　the　Proportion　held　13　for　one；　sometimes　a　little
more；　sometimes　a　little　less；　though　antiently　the　Proportion
was　eleven　for　one。　The　Proportion　in　Spain　hath　a　long　time
remained　near　about　twelve　for　one。　The　Proportion　in　the　United
Provinces；　by　the　Placcard　1622　（which　is　yet　in　force）　is　about
12　and　two　thirds　fine　silver；　to　one　of　Gold。　But　before　I　come
to　set　the　Proportions　that　have　been　held　in　this　Kingdom　of
England　I　shall　first　set　down；　How　I　do　inquire　and　resolve　of
the　said　Proportions；　to　the　end　I　may　satisfy　such　whose
Curiosity　may　carry　them　to　examine　the　truth　of　the　said
Proportions。
　　　　I　do　first　examine　by　the　Records　of　the　several　times；　how
much　the　Gold；　then　coined　in　work；　is　valued　at；　then　I　do
examine　what　proportion　of　Allay　is　mixed　in　the　said　Gold　coined
in　work；　and　add　to　the　same　the　said　proportion　of　Allay；　as　if
it　were　fine　Gold；　and　so　make　up　a　full　pound　of　fine　Gold；　and
do　just　in　the　same　manner；　value　the　full　pound　of　fine　Silver
and　then　calculate　what　proportion　is　between　the　value　of　the
pound　of　fine　Gold　and　the　value　of　the　pound　of　fine　Silver。　To
which　examination；　I　cannot　conceive　what　can　be　objected　other
than　this；　That　the　remedies　which　are　allowed；　being　different
in　the　Gold　from　the　Silver；　and　different　in　themselves；　in
different　times；　must　needs　breed　an　error　in　this　Calculation。
But　to　that　objection　I　answer；　that　the　remedies　do　make　so
small　a　difference　that　it　is　not　considerable；　and　besides　it
were　impossible　to　consider　t