Page:Pleasing art of money-catching (6).pdf/6

 But I need not quote Scripture to prove that the Jews and Romans used to coin money, the image and superscription giving a value to it, and promoting the currency of it; for silver was coined in Rome, in the year of the world 3672, which was about 300 years before the Christian æra.

History tells us that silver was first of all coined in the Isle Engina and that in Rome it was stamped with the impression of a chariot and horses. And Janus caused brass to be coined with a face on the one side, and a ship on the other, in memory of Saturnus, who arrived there in a ship. Servius Tullius, a king of the Romans, first coined brass with the image of a sheep and an ox. And in some places leather cut into pieces has had the stamp of authority put upon it, and it was made to pass for money. And in New England, the Indians have money which they call Wampompege, which is of two sorts, one white, which they make of the stem or stock of the periwinkle, which they call Meteaubockt, when all the shell is broken off; and of this sort six of their small beads, (which they make with holes to string the bracelets) are current with the English for a penny. The other sort is black inclining to blue, which is made of the shell of a fish, which they call Pequanhock; and of this sort three make an English penny. They who