TRIVIA: Early Coin Denominations

Clinker · 01-06-2009, 11:14 AM

Do you know many country's first coins were derived from that country's weights system?

I'm not going to present all of them in this "trivia," but I hope to give a few examples starting with the Chinese Tael.

There were many different weighting standards of Tael depending on the region or type of trade. In general the Silver Tael weighed around 40 grams. In some provinces of China the weight and coin was called SAR or Liang. Because of so much world trade in the Orient, a Dollar and its decimalization denominations of Five Cents, Ten Cents, 20 Cents, and 50 Cents (all siver composition) were struck as well as Cash coin denominations of 1, 2, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200 in brass, bronze and copper. Kirin Province even minted a Ten Coppers coin (equal to 50 Cash).Some struck coins and token coinage in weight denominations of Chiao, Fen, Mace, Miscal, and Wen.

The most common government silver weight measure was the Kuping ("treasury standard") Tael, weighing 1.2 Troy ounces of silver (37.3 g).

A common commercial weight, the Caiping ("canal shipping standard") Tael weighed 1.18 Troy ounces (36.7 g) of marginally less pure silver.

1/10 Tael = Mace

1/100 Tael = Candareen

Here's a 1909 Tael:

All photos in this trivia are courtesy of coinarchives unless noted.

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...=433&Lot=20713

Here's an 1895 coin whose denomination is 7 Mace 2 Candareens:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=437&Lot=108

India's Rupee was, also, a weight. Rupee means coin of silver. The word Rupiya was coined by Sher Shah Suri during his brief rule of India between 1540 - 1545. It weighed 178 grains .

Here's one to look at from Year 48:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=455&Lot=685

The following excerpt is from Wikipedia:

"Formerly the Rupee (11.66 g, .917 fine silver) was divided into 16 Annas, 64 Paise, or 192 Pies. In Arabia and East Africa the British India Rupee was current at various times, including the Paisa and was used as far south as Natal. In Mozambique the British India Rupees were overstamped, and in Kenya the British East Africa company minted the Rupee and its fractions as well as Pice. It was maintained as the Florin, using the same standard, until 1920. In Somalia the Italian colonial authority minted 'Rupia' to the exact same standard, and called the Pice 'Besa'. Early 19th century E.I.C. Rupees were used in Australia for a limited period. Decimalisation occurred in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in 1869, India in 1957 and in Pakistan in 1961. Thus an Indian Rupee is now divided into 100 Paise and so is the Pakistani Rupee."

Here's an 1862 Two Annas coin:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=454&Lot=257

Here's some Paisa:

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotvie...ID=111&Lot=888

Here's an 1825 Pie:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=376&Lot=123

The pound, a unit of currency of England, is the value of a pound mass of silver. For a long time, £1 worth of silver coins were a troy pound in mass. Here's a photo:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...=394&Lot=51646

And what about the Napoleanic Kingdom of Italy's Lira during its seven year period (1807 - 1814)?

The term originates from the value of a pound weight of high purity silver.

Here's an 1807 Napolean Campaign Lira:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...D=329&Lot=1852

Here's one before Napolean:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...cID=458&Lot=93

Here's a Lira after Napolean:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=458&Lot=240

The French Livre also originates from a troy pound of weight:

Here's a photo:
http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...D=434&Lot=1183

Here's another country's contribution to this trivia which some of you may think should have been considered before the previous ones.
Greece

Greek coinage units involve prescribed amounts of a given metal, Denominations of Greek coins are the same as their equivalent weight, namely

Obol

Drachma

Mina

Talent

Six Obolus = One Drachma

100 Drachmae = One Mina

60 Minae = One Talent

Here's an 1819 Obol:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=174&Lot=690

Here's an 1852 Drachma:

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...D=354&Lot=5661

Greece continues to use those weight denominations. Here's a 1935 Mina (100 Drachmai):

http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotvie...ID=132&Lot=683

Here's a Mina (Decadrachm) struck in Athens circa 430 BC:

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotvie...cID=225&Lot=21

I couldn't locate a photo of a Talent.

Israel

Shekel, also rendered sheqel, refers to one of many ancient units of weight and currency.

The earliest Shekels were not money, but were a units of weight, used as other units of weigh,t such as grams and troy ounces, for trading before the advent of coins. Early coins were money stamped with an official seal to certify their weight. Coins were invented by the early Anatolian traders who stamped their own marks so that they would not have to weigh it again each time it was used. Silver ingots, some with markings on them, were, also, issued. Later the stamping was taken over by official authorities who designed the coins.

Herodotus states that the first coinage was issued by Croeus, King of Lydia, spreading to the golden Daric (worth 20 Sigloi or Shekel), issued by the Persian Empire and the Silver Athenian Obol and Drachma.

See just how ancient those denominations/weights are?

Shekel most commonly refers to an ancient Hebrew unit of weight. As with many ancient units, the Shekel represented a variety of values depending on date, domain and region. Sources quote weights between 9 and 17 grams and values of 11, 14, and 17 grams are common. It can be a gold or silver coinequal in weight to one of these units, especially the chief silver coin of the Hebrews.

The Shekel was commonly used among other western Semitic peoples as well. Moabites, Edomites, and Phoenicians all used the Shekel, the latter as coinage as well as for a unit of weight. Punic coinage was based on the Shekel, a heritage from their Canaanite ancestors. The Aramaic spelling Tekel appears with a symbolic meaning in the writing on the wall during the feast of Belshazzar according to the Book of Daniel.

Here's a Shekel struck circa C.E. 68:

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotvie...=329&Lot=20053

Silver Tyrian (Lebanon) Shekels are thought to be the infamous "30 pieces of silver given to Judas Iscariot " for betraying Jesus.

One of the 30 pieces of silver?

http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotvie...=329&Lot=20052

Thought you'd like to know...

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