196 CONSUMPTION OF CHAP. IX. 



CHAPTER IX. 



On the consumption of gold and silver from the death of Au- 

 gustus, in the year 14,, to the dissolution of the Western 

 Empire, about the year 476 A.D. 



AT the commencement of this period, the 

 conversion of the precious metals into coin had 

 been extended, and almost universally prevailed ; 

 and, though in large payments, there is reason 

 to believe that the coin was still weighed. That 

 might be done, as is done by our modern Eu- 

 ropean bankers, because the operation of deter- 

 mining the amount by weight is easier than by 

 tale, and is besides less exposed to the mistakes 

 which will sometimes occur in counting large 

 numbers of pieces of money, especially when 

 those pieces are of different weights and values; 

 or like the merchants in Spain, who commonly 

 in their transactions weigh a thousand dollars 

 at once, it might be found an economy of time. 



It is difficult to fix accurately or even to ap- 

 proximate to that portion of the metal of coin 

 which is destroyed by friction or abrasion. 

 There will be a great difference in the loss on 

 the respective pieces according to their greater 



