Eggs Were Once Circulated as Money.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XL, Issue 20, 13 May 1908, Page 38

Eggs Were Once Circulated as Money.

In its simplest form, money is any commodity esteemed by all persons, such as articles of food and clothing. In the very earliest stage of man’s history, when primeval man ranged his forests in search of game, the produets of the chase would naturally become the recognised exchangeable valuables. While the carcases only retain their value for a limited period, the skins could be preserved as coverings for the body. Thus, hides would probably be the first form of money. Nor is there anything very incongruous about leather money. It is said that as late as the time of Peter the Great leather money was in circulation in Russia. As civilisation advanced, and man reached a higher stage—pastoral—the domestic animals formed the most valuable kind of property. Frequent mention is made in the Homeric poems of cattle being the commodity in terms of which all other articles were valued. It is a curious fact that the very name of this cattle-money has been retained in our language. It is generally allowed that peeunia, the Latin for money, is

from pecus, cattle, and of course our own word, “pecuniary,” is from the same root. The ancient Egyptians had a curious kind of ring-money, which was worn upon the fingers, and slipped off as re-

quired. As might have ben expected, the Chinese were among the first to coin money. Their first coins were made of porcelain, and were coined by the priests in the temples. It is a curious fact that even at this early date the counterfeiting of coins had commenced, as we find that all the early coins had contemporary counterfeits. Not only had the ancient Chinese real coins, but they had also in circulation pasteboard bank notes as early as 140 B.C.

At the present time many curious objects are used by uncivilised races as money. The East Indians use the small cowrie-shell for money, and, although its value varies, it, as a rule, ranges at 5000 to the rupee. Among some of the South Sea Islanders, greenstone—jade—red ochre, and feathers form the currency. The natives of Fiji, up till a short time since, used whales’ teeth as money. Vegetable products have at one time or another been used as money. Corn and wheat have always been favourite mediums of exchange, and even at the present time corn is circulated and stored in banks as money in Norway. In the early days of the American settlements, plugs of tobacco passed as currency; and in 1732 we find the legislature of Maryland making tobacco and Indian corn legal tender. At the beginning of the 18th century eggs were circulated in Switzerland, while at a comparatively recent date dried codfish formed the currency of Newfoundland. Pieces of salt rock are freely circulated in Abyssinia at the present day, while the favourite tender of the native Mexican is cubes of soap. We have it on the authority of Adam Smith that, in some of the country districts of Scotland, hand-made nails were used as small change up to the middle of the 18th century.