DECIMAL COINAGE. 249 



given by the above members in October were printed by 1856. 

 the Decimal Association in November 1857. 



Answer l No. 1 (Mr. De Morgan's) is preceded by some 

 remarks by himself. He says, 



These questions are the first attempts I have seen to bring the Lord^Over- 

 advocates of the pound-and-mil system to a close hand-to-hand questions, 

 controversy with the existing system. In such a trial of strength 

 the weak points of both systems may appear, but the weak 

 point of the assailant's system is sure to be discoverable from his 

 mode of attack. 



After pointing out some of the weak points (those 

 implying statements or opinions held by him to be 

 essentially unsound), he says : 



It must be conceded that the questions are wholly free from 

 some absurdities very common among opponents of the pound, 

 and-mil scheme. They do not bring forward the usual dirge upon 

 the fraction of a farthing which the possessor of some copper 

 pieces must lose, for once, on the day when the change takes 

 place. The only question asked on this point is a sensible one, 

 fully deserving of consideration and answer. They do not 

 enable us to amuse ourselves with the supposition that we mean 2 

 apple women to transact business by help of '0041666666666 ad 

 infinitum. 



The ( Answer ' runs through forty-one pages of small 

 print, a portion being taken up by repetition of the 

 questions. They are amusing and instructive even in 

 subjects only indirectly related to coinage. The questions 

 included references to authorities believed to be un- 

 answerable. These were easily dealt with. Here is a 

 specimen slightly abridged : 



9. In an old treatise 011 coin and coinage (Yaughan, 

 1675) this passage occurs: 



Of all the numbers, twelve is the most proper for money, 

 being the most clear from fractions and confusion of accompt, . . 



1 I give them in the order in which they are printed. 

 8 Referring to Mr. Lowe's ideal apple woman. 



