66 



Coin and Currency in [No. 9, new series. 



able. The difference in value is due to the difference in cost 

 of production. 



Accordingly, in the earliest records we possess, not only do we 

 find mention of several metals — " the precious" included — and 

 traces of considerable advance in the metallurgy of these as well 

 as of the less valuable, but also evidence of the use of silver as 

 coin ; while gold holds a position as the most valuable, indeed, of 

 metals, but more for ornamental than for useful purposes. The 

 date of the Book of Job is unknown. Some Jewish writers 

 assign to it an antiquity higher than the time of Moses, asserting 

 that he translated it from the Syriac for the purpose of consoling 

 his countrymen in Egypt. By others Moses is supposed to have 

 been the author. All agree in believing the book not to be of 

 later date than his time. "Whatever the author's age may have 

 been, we obtain from the Book of Job evidence of two or three 

 facts connected with the foregoing remarks. Before proceeding 

 to these, I may state that the internal evidence derived from 

 passages relating to my subject, seems to me to establish that 

 the book in question is of much greater antiquity than the Pen- 

 tateuch. 



The facts I wish to deduce are these. First, that at that early 

 period, considerable skill in metallurgy had been attained. 

 Secondly, that money was in use. Thirdly, that that money was 

 silver only. Fourthly, that money was not then so highly esteem- 

 ed as a medium of exchange, and therefore as an evidence of 

 wealth as it afterwards became. 



For the first, I need only quote the following passages — -vi. 12, 

 " is my flesh of brass?" xxviii. 1, 2, " Surely there is a vein for 

 the silver, and a place for gold where they fine it. Iron is taken 

 out of the earth, and brass is molten out of the stone" xxxvii. 18, 

 " a molten looking glass" (or rather ' speculum.') 



Secondly : xxxi. 39, " If I have eaten the fruits thereof with- 

 out money" xlii. 11, " every man also gave him a piece of money." 



Thirdly : this latter passage speaks of a " piece of money" 

 (silver J and an " ear-ring of gold ;" which, taken in connection 

 with other facts to be mentioned hereafter, seems to imply the 

 ll on- existence of gold coin. 



