428 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1934 



tion. This indicates that the cacao bean was an established unit 

 of exchange among those people: just as established as our gold 

 standard, which can only hold its own as long as it is accepted at 

 an agreed value, as proved by recent happenings. 



In Mexico, on the other hand, the native carriers were to be paid 

 100 beans a day. There the Spanish government valued from 80 

 to 100 beans to a real, which was an eighth of a peso. A carga, 

 which was a burden of 2 arrobas, or 50 pounds, could be bought for 

 from 30 to 28 pesos.« 



Thus a beverage and a monetary unit are closely linked. The 

 international monetary unit of Aztec, Maya, Chorotega, and other 

 nations in Middle America was the cacao bean. Its value fluctuated 

 according to supply and demand, but it was a standard unit none- 

 theless. 



While we are speaking about the monetary unit, we may just as 

 well speak of the counting of this unit. 



We have a decimal system. We count units to 10, and then in 

 multiples of 10. 



The middle Americans had a vigesimal system. They counted 

 in units to 20, and then in multiples of 20. 



Their system of numerals had a dot for 1, two dots for 2, three 

 dots for 3, four dots for 4, and a bar for 5. Two bars and three dots 

 make 13. 



When we reach 9 we move one position over to the left, reaching 

 10, which is one with our sign for nothing. Reaching 99, we move 

 one more place to the left, getting 100, and so on and so forth, 

 towards the left, ad infinitum, rising in numerical value by multiples 

 of 10. 



The Maya counted in twenties, and from the inscriptions carved 

 on the surfaces of limestone monuments and entries in their books, 

 painted on fiber paper, we know that their count was in columns, 

 with the lowest value, the unit, at the bottom, and rising toward 

 the top; but read from the top down, just as we have our lowest 

 value to the right, rise by multiples of 10 moving toward the left, 

 but read from left to right. The units are at the bottom of the 

 column, and these units reached 19, or 3 bars and 4 dots. Just as 



• • 6 • 



• 



• 



Figure 2. Figdrb 3. Fiodrb 4. 



« Suarez de Teralta, pp. 166-167, 1S78. If we take 100 beans multiplied by 8 (8 

 reales to a peso) we get 800 beans. The price of a carga is 30 pesos, which gives 

 24,000 beans, or three times the Maya count of 8,000 ; or 20 times 400. 



