Part. II An account of the Money of Asia. 13 



high a rate, to the end the Merchants, who come from all the Coafts of India 

 thither with their Wares, may not tranfport it out of the Countrey. This piece 

 is called St. Thomas. Formerly when the Portuguez had the Trade of fapon t Ma- 

 cajfar, Sumatra, China and Mofimbique, which they frill preferve j and is the 

 place whither the Indians bring the Gold of the ^ibaffins and Saba, it was a won- 

 derful thing to fee the quantity of Gold which the Portuguet Coin'd, and the fe- 

 veral pieces of workmanfhip which they fram'd in Gold, and fent into Forreign 

 Countreys, even to the Weft-Indies, by the way of the Philippine Iilands. But 

 now they have no other places but only Mozambique to furnifh them with Gold 

 they keep up thofe Pieces called St. Thomafst at a very high rate, left they mould 

 be carried out of the Countrey, as I faid before. They have alio Silver Pieces, 

 which they call Pardos, which go for the value of 27 Sous of our Money : As al- 

 fo a great quantity of fmall Copper and Tin-Money, not much unlike that of the 

 Kings already mentioned, which they thread upon itrings in particular numbers. 



The Gold and Silver Money of Mufcovy. 



I Have obferve'd in my Relations, that in all parts of our Europe, where they 

 Coin Money,, there are great Sums tranfported all over u4fia t where they go 

 currantly. But for the Money of Mufcovy there is great lofs in tranfporting it 

 any where elfe ; becaufe the Prince enhances it to Co high a value. The pieces as 

 we 1 of Gold as Silver are very good Metal , for the Gold in worth is fome- 

 what higher than our Lewis. 



Fig. 1 and 2. This piece of Gold weighs 14 Grains j and to take the Gold at 

 4S Grains the Ounce, would amount to 20 Sous, one Deneer, and one half-peny 

 of our Money. But going in Mufcovy for 24 Sous, there would be nineteen and 

 an half lofs to tranfport it any where eife. 



Fig. 3 and 4. Is a piece of Silver that weighs eight Grains -, and to take an 

 Ounce of Silver at three Livres ten Sous, it comes to a Sous of our Money. But 

 in the Countrey you have but fifty of thefe pieces, or at moft fbmetimes fifty two 

 for one of our Crowns, or a Real of Spam, or an High-German Rixdollar. 



Fig. j and 6. Is a piece of Silver alio which only goes in Mufcovy. But I 

 cannot tell in what Province it is Coin d, in regard there are no Arms upon it, and 

 that the moft knowing perfons, to whom I mewed them, could not tell me what 

 the Characters meant , which makes me think it is very ancient. The piece weighs 

 2 ^ Grains, which comes to three of our Sous, one Deneer, and one half-peny. 



This is all that I could collect of moft certainty, concerning the Money and 

 Coins of the Eaft, during the long courfe of my Travels. Nor do I believe that 

 any perfon has undertaken, before me, to write upon the fame Subject If any 

 one of my Readers defires to fee the real Pieces themfelves, as well in Gold and 

 Silver, as in Tin, Copper, Shells and Almonds, he may, without queftion, obtain 

 the Favour from Monfieur, the firft Prefident, to whofe Study I devoted them alJ^ 

 together with certain Medals, of which that Supreme Senator, moft skilful in An- 

 tiquity, has great ftore_, being ftill curious in fearching after what is rare. 



The end of the Coins, 



tRAVELS 



