322 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
them induced the Government to alloy the next series with iron, which is decid- 
edly obnoxious to the photographic process, and more difficult and expensive to 
extract. But new chemical operations were soon equal to the emergency, and 
allowed some profit to the manufacturer. I am told that it is of some profit to 
buy old pocket-books and to extract the silver left by use on the leather lining. 
The use of gold and silver for plated ware, for gold lockets, gold leaf and 
similar things is very large. It is difficult to get at the average loss of metal in 
consequence of this industry. France exported in one year about $1,000,000 
of different fabrics for which gold and silver were used, and this represents prob- 
ably less than one-half of this industry. If the yearly loss be accepted as 30 per 
■cent every year about $600,000 would be lost. The United States census puts 
the consumption of precious metals in arts to $15,000,000 for 1880, of which 
$4,500,000 would be lost. Every old family knows how much lighter silver 
■spoons, forks and similar objects grow by use, and the widely spread fashion of 
such objects makes it plausible that a large amount of silver is forever lost by 
polishing and cleaning. There are comparatively few watches without a gold or 
silver case, and rings and jewelry worn lose almost daily somewhat of their value. 
The more precious metals exist the more they are used, and the loss keeps an 
equal pace with their use. 
Further, a very large amount of precious metals has been lost from time 
immemorial by ships foundered at sea, sometimes even very large in single ships, 
as in the so called silver fleet of the Spaniards, or in war times. 
A greater amount of gold and silver in coins or ware is hidden in the ground 
in uncertain war times, and afterwards forgotten or not found. In Germany, the 
construction of roads and railways brought many such treasures to the light, 
which, according to the date of the coins, had been several hundred years in the 
ground. In Eastern Prussia alone, during the first half of this century, were found 
about 100 pounds of golden Arabic or Kufic coins, which must have been hidden 
1,200 years or more, which proves that the tradeway in those times passed through 
Prussia. The well-Jcnown Hildeshelm silver found in 1867 near the battlefield of 
Arminius and Varus, has brought to light extremely tasteful silver vessels after 
twelve centuries. 
Iron or earthen pots, filled with coins during the Thirty Years' War, are by 
no means rare. The discoveries by Schliemann in Troy and Mycenae, and simi- 
lar findings in Italy, are many centuries older. In Italy, such findings contained 
sometimes 30,000 coins; but, curiously enough, till now no hidden treasure is 
discovered which antedates the time of Sylla. More than 50,000 denares are 
•quoted by Momsen in about a dozen different findings. The treasure hidden 
during the first and second century after Christ contains very large numbers of 
gold coins, and contrasts obviously with the small amounts during the next cent- 
ury. The visitor at the Copenhagen Museum will remember the heavy, solid 
E.onian gold pieces found in the northern peat swamps. 
;[ To he Continued. \ 
