190 ON METAL9. 



in little drops over the surface of the pot-metal, whilst the copper 

 Temains unfused. 



It is reported of James II. that he melted down and coined alt 

 the brass truns in Ireland, and afterwards proceeded to coin the 

 pewter with this inscription Melioris tessera fati. The Con- 

 gress in America had recourse to the same expedient : they coined 

 several pieces of about an inch and a half in diameter, and of 240 

 grains in weight; on one side of which was inscribed in a circular 

 ring near the edge Continental Currency, 177G and within the 

 ring a rising sun, with fiigio at the side of it, shining upon a 

 dial, under which was Mind your business. On the reverse 

 were thirteen small circles joined together like the rings of a chain, 

 on each of which was inscribed the name of some one of the tliir. 

 teen states ; on another circular ring, within these, was inscribed 

 American Congress and in the central space We are One. 1 

 have been particular in the mention of this piece of money, be. 

 cause, like the leaden money which was struck at Vienna, when 

 that city was besieged by the Turks in 1529 it will soon become 

 a great curiosity. I estimated the weight of a cubic foot of this 

 continental currency; it was equal to 7440 ounces: this exceeds 

 the weight of a cubic foot of our best sort of pewter, and falls short 

 of that of our worst; I conjecture that the metal of the conti. 

 nental currency consisted of twelve parts of tin and of one of lead. 

 Plautus*, and other Roman authors, make mention of leaden mo. 

 ney ; some are of opinion that we ought to understand by that 

 expression, copper mixed with lead ; but that cannot be the mean, 

 ing, if it be true, that the Romans did not mix lead with their 

 copper currency till the age of SeptimiusSeverus, for Plautus lived 

 many years before that emperor. I will not enter into the con. 

 trovorsy : and I have introduced this observation relative to the 

 leaden money of the Romans, merely to shew the correspondence 

 which some of the Roman copper medals bore to oar pot-metal ; 

 for those which were struck after the age of Septimiui Severus, 

 being exposed to a proper degree of heat, sweat out drops ot lead, 

 45 it has been remarked our pot. metal does ; but metals of greater 

 antiquity have no such property t. 



T.irc sis, fahor, qiii nidrro solrs plmnbrus nnmmo*. Plan. Mos. A. IV. 



I,. XI. el Canin. A. II. S. III. L. XL. ,t Mart. L. X. K. LXXIV. 

 t Illi mini qui Mutlii hnjiis ntnore trnrnmr, rum montMuin aeream ante Srp- 

 rimluiu Srvcrutn cusam ignc prohcnt nihil plutnbi indc srccrni deprehendunt 



