422 Dr. Genth's Contributions to Metallurgy. 



no analysis of it ; but it has in all probability the same compo- 

 sition as our speculum-metal, whicb is used for the construction 

 of mirrors of telescopes or similar purposes : Davis says that it 

 contains tin and copper, and perhaps a portion of silver. 



Father ]\Iailla states that the alloys used for coins are made 

 from the materials furnished, since a very early period, from the 

 provinces Yun-nan and Koei-tcheou. The coins are called 

 Tschen, and are, according to Davis, composed of copper and 

 zinc, with perhaps some lead. These are the only coins issued 

 by the Chinese government ; and their value should be equal to 

 one-thousandth of the Chinese silver oimce or tael, which latter 

 is equal to 1*4:0 dollar of United States money. Their market 

 value, however, when Davis made his observations, was equal to 

 1240 tschen for one tael fine silver, although the expense of 

 their manufacture was frequently greater to the government, so 

 that the Viceroy of Fokien, in a memoir to the Emperor, sug- 

 gested to close the mint of that province, and suspend the coin- 

 age altogether, until the relative value of tschen and silver 

 would approach nearer to a par. Although the value of one 

 tschen is not more than about one-tenth of one cent of our 

 money, and the inducements to counterfeit the same cannot be 

 very great, still the Chinese cannot resist their unconquerable 

 propensity for substituting something of an even smaller value, 

 that they forge them and smuggle casts of lead into circulation. 

 The tschen have an inscription on both sides : on one the name 

 of the reigning emperor, with two words denoting "current 

 value;" on the reverse, a Tartar inscription. They have a square 

 hole in the centre, through which they are strung together by 

 hundreds to save coTinting. Most of the coins which I have seen 

 were of this description; and they are certainly tlie most common. 

 However, there are two other kinds, which are not mentioned 

 by Davis, and of which I am therefore in doubt whether they 

 are government's issue, viz. of cast iron, and of an alloy princi- 

 pally of lead and copper. Of the cast-iron coins I have seen 

 only one. It had a square hole in the centre, like the tschen, 

 and similar inscriptions on both sides. It is very hard, but was 

 so much oxidized that it was impossible to examine more closely 

 into the nature of the metal. The other coin appears to be the 

 same of which llcnouard de St. Croix speaks*, and of which he 

 says that it is called Patec, is made of an alloy of copper and 

 lead, has a square hole in the centre, and an inscription only on 

 one side. The analyses Nos. 7 and 8 are in all probability 

 this coin : it was impossible, however, to observe any inscription 

 on either side ; but as they ai'e made of a very soft alloy, this 

 may have been worn off. 



* Rcnouard dc St. Croix, Voyage, vol. iii. 



