Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 6.djvu/156

 the term, did not take place. All transactions of commerce were in the nature of barter. It is difficult to determine the era when media of exchange began to be generally used. The chronicles of the semi-mythical Empress Jingo (201 ) allege that among the spoils carried by her from Korea were coins in the shape of a bird. But these curiosities remain a mere tradition. Not until the year 485 do silver coins seem to have served as tokens of exchange. They were not in common use, however. The Japanese did not possess stores of precious metal sufficient for purposes of currency. There were no mines in the country. Whenever gold or silver came across the sea in the form of gifts or tribute from China or Korea, the casting of idols suggested itself as the natural use for such rare and beautiful metals, and if they were not devoted to that pious end, they served as personal ornaments, or were employed in the decorative arts. Not until 675 was silver discovered within the Japanese realm. The island of Tsushima furnished it, and of the first supply forwarded to the Government portions were offered to the gods,—which means, of course, that they came into the possession of the priests,—the rest being distributed among officials and men of rank. The discovery of copper followed that of silver by twenty-three years, and, at the close of the seventh century, a mint was established where, according to the records, coins of gold, silver,