256 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION; 



great number of their filver medals; and they 

 are commonly very fmall : of theie there can be 

 no remarkable clafs or divifion formed : filver is 

 likewife not ilibjecl: to ruft. The medals of 

 brafs, and the coins of copper, are, on the con- 

 trary, fo numerous, that a regular and complete 

 fyftem may be formed of them. They are di- 

 vided, as we have faid, into large, middle and 

 (mall. The connoifleurs pretend alfo that there 

 are likewife fome of Corinthian metal. There 

 is found on the copper an antique ruft, that 

 refembles a varnifh, and is called patima : it is 

 of a variable colour between green and black, 

 and prevents the ruft from eating any further! 

 This ruft the moderns have not hitherto been 

 able to imitate. There are alfo medallions that 

 are called ^Eris moduli maximi, and ^Eris maximi; 

 and which are known by not having the ufual 

 mark of the letters S. O. There are alfo me- 

 dals or coins of iron, tin, and even lead (plum- 

 bei nummi.) 



XIV. 2. The time when they were ftruck. In 

 the Roman medals they diftinguifli two periods. 

 The firft is of thofe that were made in the time 

 of the republic, and are named Nummi confulares: 

 and the fecond is of thofe that were ftruck un- 

 der the emperors, and are named Nummi impera- 

 torum y and Imperiales. 



3. The rcprefentation of a medal : in which 

 they examine, i. on one fide the face, image or 

 buft : 2. the reverfe, or iconologic reprefenta- 



tion : 



