Gold was early adopted by nations as a currency, but it was not adopted in England until 1257, the first gold coins being of the weight of two silver pennies, valued at twenty pence and called gold pennies. In 1344 a gold piece called a florin was struck. Later came ” nobles,” worth 6s. 8d., still used as a lawyer’s fee; “marks,” worth double that amount, and ” angels,” worth 10s. each.

The guinea was first issued in the year of the Great Fire of London. At first it was valued at a price varying from 20s. to 30s., but in 1777 it was fixed at 21s. The gold ” sovereign” was substituted for it in 1816. To the Royal Mint in England anyone may take ingots or bars of gold and for a small charge get their value in coins. The ingots and bars are marked and weighed for the melting-pot, the exact amount of alloy being set beside them. Then they are melted in small crucibles of plumbago. When molten, the metal is lifted from the furnace by a special apparatus and its contents poured into moulds.    These cast the metal mass into bars of about twenty inches long. The bars pass through presses, which reduce the bars to varying degrees of thickness according to the size of the coin. required. The long strips of thin metal are then taken. to another machine, which punches them to circular shape, while another machine ” mills ” the edges, to: prevent the coins from being ” clipped” when in circulation. In days gone by ” clipping” the coin was of frequent occurrence, and several monarchs re¬sorted to debasing the coinage when they were pressed for money. Later, counterfeiting coin became a crime of high treason, and death was the penalty. To-day -it is still, and rightly, a major offence.

After leaving the press, the gold coins are placed in a machine which automatically deposits them in one of three drawers, according to whether they are light, heavy or correct. Those of the first and second de¬scription are sent to the melting-pot before those which are good are given public circulation. They are again weighed and tested. To ensure perfect weight and fineness, samples are placed in a “Pyx” box. Each year a jury of qualified men is sworn in to examine these samples.

Although silver takes a secondary place to golf among precious metals in commerce, its use in coinage has caused more fluctuations in prices, and its discovery; and use are the subject of quite as many romances as those of gold. A short time ago, when the new ” Treasury” in Rochester Cathedral was opened, a great old sixteenth-century chest was opened and the contents displayed for the.first time. Among other curiosities a number of magnificent pieces of silver were found which had previously been supposed to be brass. In mentioning the discovery, The Times said:

” The silver alone is a revelation. Chief among the pieces, are two beautiful dishes, ciboria, of the date of • 1530-1533. They are five inches high and nine inches wide, and have, between them, one cover. It is con¬jectured that there was originally but one, which is transferable to either of the vessels. “Next to these must be mentioned a magnificent service of seven pieces, of date 1653-1654, originally made for James, Duke of Lennox and Gordon, who lived at Cobham Hall, and bequeathed to the Cathedral by will by Sir James Williamson in 1701. The pieces consist of two chalices, two ciboria, two flagons—all very fine—and a superb alms dish, two feet in diameter, the seven pieces weighing over 440 ozs. Part of the same Williamson bequest of 1701 are two splendid candlesticks, nineteen inches high, richly chased and massive. These candlesticks and the alms dish, which have been in constant use in the Cathedral, are among the articles mentioned above which have until quite recently been supposed to be brass.”