176 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



the representative; the silver kopeck no longer exists as current coin. The copper kopeck bears on its obverse side 

 the figure of St. George spearing a dragon: "from this spear," says Georgi, "called kapcea in Russian, the term 

 Tcopeck has been derived." 



A still smaller coin, called the "jpotoosMa", worth \ kopeck, has been used in Russia; it takes its name from a 

 hare skin, "oos/tfca", or "little ears", which, before the use of money by the Sclavs, was one of the lowest articles of 

 exchange; pol signifying half, and polooshka, iialfa hare's skin. From another small coin, the "deinga" (equal to 

 kopeck in value), is derived the Russian word for money, deingah or deingie.* 



In conclusion, it may be interesting to add to this mention of the coin used on the seal islands and in the 

 fur-trade transactions of Alaska, that the first piece of stamped money known to the numismatic records is a small 

 coin made by the Phocians about 700 B. 0., on the obverse side of which was the figure of a seal, so stamped 

 because when these people were emigrating their boats were "followed by shoals of seals". 



* As far as I can ascertain, the aboTO expression of Russian nomenclature, regarding the subjects named, is the first correct rendition 

 made in the English language of the same. Clarke [Travels: 1800] gives, on a fly-leaf '>f introduction to his interesting and graphic 

 picture of Russian life and country, these items of weight, measure, and money, nearly all correct as to figures, but haidly one of the 

 Mnscovitic equivalents is properly pronounced and spelled in accordance. He frankly confesses his ignorance, however, of the Russian 

 language, and hence bars out all adverse criticism thereby. I should also add that I have, as far as possible, refrained from using any of 

 the Aleutian nomenclature on the seal-islands, for the simple reason that while those natives do not, in talking among themselves, employ 

 the above Russian titles, yet when they address us they do, and hence the Slavonian designations are those which all races up there agree 

 upon in their definition and application. 



