258 BOOK VII. 



Since it is rarely found that gold, which has been coined, does not amount to 

 at least fifteen duellae oi gold in a bes, some make only twenty-eight needles, and 

 some make them different from those already described, inasmuch as the 

 alloy of gold with silver and copper is sometimes differently proportioned. 



,, 28th ,, pure gold 



Next follows the fourth kind of needles, by which we test silver coins 

 which contain copper, or copper coins which contain silver. The bes by 

 which we weigh the silver is divided in two different ways. It is either 

 divided twelve times, into units of five drachmae and one scripulum each, 



