DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.22140#0337
MOVEMENTS OF CURRENCY.
321
except in one district in Europe, silver was the only metal which
could be procured in any abundance. There were, it is true, super-
ficial deposits of native gold. Such was the case in ancient Gaul,
Britain, and Spain. But these casual sources of this precious
metal has been collected and absorbed in ancient and even in
prehistoric times. In the fifteenth century it is said that gold of
the finest quality was still procurable in Ireland. It seems to have
been mainly used for personal ornament, though there was a
British gold coinage before the invasion of Caesar, for many
specimens, even of prehistoric kings have been found. But the
supply of gold in Eastern Europe and Western Asia seems to
have been far more copious in early times. Perhaps as a suc-
cession from the Western Empire, the Byzantine coinage was
largely gold. When there was close commercial intercourse with
the Eastern Empire, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, the Italian
cities at the end of the thirteenth century began a gold coinage-
It became to some extent at least the currency of the Papal Court
at Rome, and afterwards at Avignon. It was imitated, though
the Mint issues must have been very small, by the Plantagenet
kings. Practically, however, till near the close of the seventeenth-
century, the currency was mainly silver.
In an earlier lecture, I pointed out to you that the source of
silver, up to the time in which the New World, and especially the
mines of Potosi were discovered, was particularly England. Sul-
phuret of lead (not indeed in the wide veins recently discovered in
the range of the Rocky Mountains) has been from time im-
memorial worked in several parts of England. Now this ore
always contains silver, sometimes in considerable quantities. I
think that I am entirely right in saying that those countries with
which early English trade was generally carried on, are destitute
of lead ores. I am nearly as convinced that at the time of which
I am speaking, perhaps in all cases, silver is produced almost
exclusively from the lead ore to which I have referred. There
was a considerable export trade in lead, and I have never found in
all my researches, a trace of its import from foreign countries.
And though the arts of roasting galena, and subsequently oxi-
dizing the metallic lead, with a view to the separation of the silver
were made, they were certainly obvious, easy, and traditional. The
22
321
except in one district in Europe, silver was the only metal which
could be procured in any abundance. There were, it is true, super-
ficial deposits of native gold. Such was the case in ancient Gaul,
Britain, and Spain. But these casual sources of this precious
metal has been collected and absorbed in ancient and even in
prehistoric times. In the fifteenth century it is said that gold of
the finest quality was still procurable in Ireland. It seems to have
been mainly used for personal ornament, though there was a
British gold coinage before the invasion of Caesar, for many
specimens, even of prehistoric kings have been found. But the
supply of gold in Eastern Europe and Western Asia seems to
have been far more copious in early times. Perhaps as a suc-
cession from the Western Empire, the Byzantine coinage was
largely gold. When there was close commercial intercourse with
the Eastern Empire, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, the Italian
cities at the end of the thirteenth century began a gold coinage-
It became to some extent at least the currency of the Papal Court
at Rome, and afterwards at Avignon. It was imitated, though
the Mint issues must have been very small, by the Plantagenet
kings. Practically, however, till near the close of the seventeenth-
century, the currency was mainly silver.
In an earlier lecture, I pointed out to you that the source of
silver, up to the time in which the New World, and especially the
mines of Potosi were discovered, was particularly England. Sul-
phuret of lead (not indeed in the wide veins recently discovered in
the range of the Rocky Mountains) has been from time im-
memorial worked in several parts of England. Now this ore
always contains silver, sometimes in considerable quantities. I
think that I am entirely right in saying that those countries with
which early English trade was generally carried on, are destitute
of lead ores. I am nearly as convinced that at the time of which
I am speaking, perhaps in all cases, silver is produced almost
exclusively from the lead ore to which I have referred. There
was a considerable export trade in lead, and I have never found in
all my researches, a trace of its import from foreign countries.
And though the arts of roasting galena, and subsequently oxi-
dizing the metallic lead, with a view to the separation of the silver
were made, they were certainly obvious, easy, and traditional. The
22