MONETARY ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2481, 17 May 1909, Page 3

MONETARY ITEMS.

* The word Money is from the temple o! Juno, Monita, in which money was first coined by the ancients. Pecuniary is from pccus, a flock: flocks and herds of animals being originally equivalent to money or things constituting wealth.

Cash, in commerce, signifies ready money or actual coin paid on the instant, as it is from the French word caissc, a coffer or chest in which money is kept. Pound was never a coin. The term was mginally employed to signify a pound weight of silver ; but afterwards it was employed to mean twenty shillings in tale or by counting. •- Guinea took its name from the coast of Guinea, in Africa, whence the gold for it ■as originally brought. At first the piece was current at twenty shillings ; afterwards it was equal'-to" twenty-one shillings and sixpence, and finally settled at twenty-one shillings. j . X' Shilling and penny are both from Saxon words.'l The penny was first coined in silver, Groat was aflame given to silver pieces equal to'-four in value, coined by Edward 111. This word groat is a corruption of - grosses, or great pieces, and was given to distinguish this larger coinage from pennies or small coin. • Farthing is a corruption of fourthing, or the fourth part of a penny.