The E-Sylum:  Volume 5, Number 49, December 8, 2002, Article 10

OLDEST ARTICLE/SPEECH ON NUMISMATICS?

  David Klinger submitted a lengthy item taken from The Avalon
  Project at the Yale Law School.  It is a copy of a 1588 speech
  titled "A Discourse Upon Coins"  by Bernardo Davanzati,
  translated out of Italian by John Toland of London, and
  printed by J.D. for Awnsham and John Churchil, at the Black
  Swan in Pater-Noster-Row, 1696.

  The full text is on the web at this address:
  http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/econ/coins.htm
  Here are some excerpts:

  "The first Money that the Antients wrought was Copper, and
  was by common Consent preferr'd to this high Office. So
  whatever superabounded to any Person, he gave it for as much
  Copper as was compar'd with, or judg'd equal to it; this
  Copper he afterwards gave for other things wanting to him, or
  otherwise he kept it by him in his Coffer, as a Security for the
  Supply of his future Necessities. And this was the Original of
  selling and buying...  Afterwards the greater Excellency of
  Gold and Silver did set them off, and occasion'd them to be
  made Money. They were at the beginning us'd in unwrought
  Pieces as they came to hand; but, as Additions are easily
  mde to Inventions, they were next weigh'd, then stamp'd,
  and so became Money."

  "When, where, and by whom Money was first coin'd is not
  agreed upon by Writers. Herodotus says in Lydia, others
  in Naxos, Strabo in AEgina; some in Lycia by King
  Erichthonius; Lucan says in Thessaly by King Ionus. I
  cannot learn that there was any Money in use before the
  Flood: but the Scriptures speak plainly of it afterwards.
  Abraham purchas'd a Field from Ephron the Hittite for four
  hundred Shekals of Silver, currant Money with the Merchant.
  Joseph was sold by his Brethren for twenty pieces of Silver.
  And Moses laid upon the Israelites by Poll hald a Sheckel,
  that is, four Drachms of Silver. Theseus, who reign'd in
  Attica abou the time of the Judges in Isreal, coin'd Silver-
  Money with the Stamp of an Ox upon it, to invite those to
  manure and till the Ground, who till then liv'd at random in
  the Woods. When Janus King of Latium receiv'd Saturn
  fled by Sea from his Son Jupiter, who drove him from his
  Throne, (that was in the so well govern'd, and so much
  celebrated Golden Age) Janus, I say, did in the Memory
  of this Favour coin Copper Money, which had stamp'd
  upon it the Prow of a Ship.  The first Money among the
  Romans was a piece of Copper, without any coining, or a
  Pound Weight, call'd by them AEs gravis..."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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