Page:Origin of metallic currency and weight standards.djvu/55

 made on a definite standard, whilst it has been long well known that the Scandinavian rings and armlets have likewise a standard of their own.

When occasion arose they cut off a piece of this bent wire (for it was really nothing more), and gave it by weight. Such a piece was called a scillinga, and is the direct ancestor of our own shilling. It is not unlikely also that the ancient inhabitants of Portugal employed similar pieces of wire, as Strabo tells us that the Lusitanians have no money, but that they employ silver wire, from which they cut off a portion when necessary.

We now pass on to Africa, where we shall find most varied systems of currency. Thus on the West Coast of Africa the bar is the unit. In fact all merchandise is reckoned by the bar, which now at Sierra Leone means 2s. 3d. worth of any kind

Murray):
 * [Footnote: of the rings (which I have been enabled to figure by the kindness of Mr John

++-+-+ ++-+-+-+ ++-+-+-+ ]]
 * Silver | Plain ring |   8·8   |     137     |
 * Gold |   Spiral    |   8·5   |     132     |
 * "   |     "       |   9·9   |     153     |
 * "   |     "       |  10·8   |     167     |
 * "   | Plain ring  |  15·9   |     248     |
 * "   |     "       |  16·5   |     257     |
 * "   |     "       |  19·0   |     297     |
 * "   |     "       |  19·4   |     303     |
 * "   |   Spiral    |  20·5   |     320     |
 * "   |     "       |  21·5   |     335     |
 * "   | Plain ring  |  22·0   |     340     |
 * "   |   Spiral    |  29·3   |     452     |
 * "   |     "       |  39·0   |     612     |
 * "   |     "       |  39·5   |     617     |
 * "   |     "       |  41·5   |     643     |
 * "   |     "       |  42·2   |     654     |
 * "   |     "       |  42·3   |     655     |
 * "   |     "       |  42·8   |     662     |