?iO 1 MEDAL. 
Being on the Perfian monument is upheld by the dilk, 
which represents the world ; and round this di(k twines a 
ferpent, the fymbol of life, given by the Creative Power 
to every animated being. The fame emblem is feen in 
fig. to. mentioned by Kempfer. In this emblem the 
wings and tail of Mihir affume the lhape of a crofs, of 
which the tipper part is formed by the figure of the Crea¬ 
tive Being; and in order to fimplify this emblem, it was 
frequently reprefented by a plain crofs. This crofs is to 
be feen in the centre of many figures of the ruins of the 
temples of Ptrfepolis fpecified by Chardin ; and this (hows 
the reafon of the crofs being ufed by the ancients as a re¬ 
ligious fymbol many ages antecedent to our aera, and 
accounts for its being found on many Pagan monuments, 
fuch as thofe of Perfepolis, which were deftroyed 
many centuries before the birth of Chrift. 
This crofs became the Tau, or anfated crofs, of the 
Egyptians ; and is the figure of th e phallus difguiled. The 
Greeks ufed the letter T to exprefs it. There are gems 
to be feen on which the letter is engraved, which from 
thence was denominated obfcene. There are alfo phalli , 
or priapi, which terminate in the legs of a lion, and have 
wings. The phallus reprefents the Creative Being, 
whole figure terminates the crofs on the Perfian monu¬ 
ments : the union of this being with Love is exprefied by 
the wings of that phallus; and, as the Ens gcnerans was 
the fame with that whereof the funs were the fymbols; 
the lion, by which was reprefented the diurnal fun, whofe 
heat contributes to the propagation and generation of all 
beings, ferves to reprefent, in this phallus, theafiion of the 
Creative Being. This accounts for the attitude in which 
thefe phalli with lion’s legs are almolt always exhibited. 
On one of the medals of Cyzicus there is a crofs , by 
which is reprefented a kind of human figure, (feefig. ii.) 
the explanation of which has juft been given. And, if 
on the medals of Sidon the crofs is feen in the hands of 
Minerva, and thofe of a figure reprefenting a Priapus, 
(fee fig. 12 and 13.) it is, becaufe Minerva reprefented 
the Divine Wifdoin which prefided at the generation of 
things, exprefied by that crofs feen in the hand of the 
Priapus, who holds a crown, and here reprefents the 
Creative Power. Thefe two emblems are each placed on 
a fhip, to fignify the waters out of which the Creative 
Being drew the world, which fwam in the egg containing 
it, as has been mentioned before. 
This emblem of the crofs, which we here fee on the 
coins of Cyzicus, a city fituated on the Hellefpont ; and 
on the medals of Sidon, belonging to Phoenicia ; is like- 
wife found on the ancient Perfian coins, fuch as fig. 14, 
on the face of which we obferve the lion, whofe inferior 
parts, as we have remarked, are frequently made ufe of 
in the figure of the phallus ; and this phallus, reprefented 
by the crofs, which points out the union of the Creative 
Power with Love, is feen on the reverfe of thefe coins. 
This crofs is faftened to a chaplet or rofary of the fame 
form as thofe Bill ufed in many parts of Europe. Re- 
cherchcsfur les Arts de la Grece. 
We fiiall now recapitulate the contents of Plate I. 
Fig. 1 is a coin of one of the Arfacidas of Perlia. Fig. 
2. Tigranes the younger of Armenia, and his lifter. 
3. A Perfian daric. 4. A drachm of ./Egina. 5. A 
lilver hemi-drachm of Alexander the Great. 6. A fil¬ 
ver coin of the Heraclei. 7. A medal of the Maries, or 
Mardes. 8. A medal of Camarina, or Kamarina. 9, 10. 
Perfian emblems. 11. A medal of Cyzicus. 12, 13, 
Medals of Sidonia. 14. A Perlian coin. 15. A coin of 
one of the Safianidas ot Perlia ; from Pinkerton. 
Medals and Coins of the Romans. Plate II. 
In Rome, as well as in Greece, the money was at firft 
eftimated by weight; and the firft metal coined by that 
people was copper , filver being long unknown in Rome ; 
nor is it certainly known that any filver lias ever been 
found in the Italian mines. In Rome the firft valuation 
of money was by the libra gravis teris, or pound of heavy 
brafs: and, in the progrefs of their conquefts, the little 
filver and gold that came in their way was regulated by 
the fame ftandard, as appears from the ftory of Brennus. 
The weights made ufe of were the fame with thofe which 
continue to this day. The pound confided of 12 ounces 
of 458 grains each ; but the pound by which the money 
was weighed appears to have confided only of 420 grains 
to the ounce, or to have contained in all 5040 grains. 
This became the ftandard of copper; and, wiien filver 
came to be coined, feven denarii went to the ounce, as 
eight drachms did in Greece. Gold was regulated by 
the Jcriptulum or fcrupulum, the third part oPa denarius, 
and by the larger weights juft mentioned. The number 
10 was at firft ufed by the Romans in counting their 
money ; but, finding afterwards that a fmaller number 
was more convenient, they divided it into quarters ; and, 
as the quarter of 10 is 2^, they for this reafon bellowed 
upon it the name of fefertius, or “ half the third ;” to ex- - 
prefs that it was-two of any weights, meafures. See. and 
half a third ; whence the feftertius came at laft to be the 
grand eltimate of Roman money. The as being at firft 
the largelt, and indeed the only Roman coin, the word 
fefertius means fefertius as, or two afes and an half.” On 
the firft coining of filver, the denarius of ten afes was 
ftruck in the molt common and convenient denary di- 
vilion of money, or that by tens; the feftertius being of 
courfetwo afes and an half. But, the denarius being af¬ 
terwards eftimated at 16 afes, the name feftertius was ftill 
applied to a quarter of the denarius, though it now con¬ 
tained four afes. The term fefertius was applied to all 
fums not exceeding 1000 feftertii, or 81 . 6s. 8d. but for 
greater fums the mode of the feftertius was likewife al¬ 
tered, though not to exclude the former. Very large 
fums of money were eftimated by the hundred-weight of 
brafs ; for the Romans were at firft unacquainted with 
the talent. The hundred-weight, by way of eminence, 
was diftinguilhed by the name of pondus; and feftertium 
pondus became a plirafe for two hundred weight and a 
half. Mr. Pinkerton is of opinion, that we may value 
the as libralis of ancient Rome at about eight-pence Eng- 
lilli. Eftimating the as therefore at a pound weight, the 
fefertium pondus was equal to 1000 feftertii, or 81 . 6s. 8d. 
and, by coincidence which our author fuppofes to have 
been the effeff'of defign, as fooil as the filver coinage 
appeared, the fefertium centum denariorum was always equal 
to 81 . 6s. 8d. alio. The word feftertium itfelf, however, 
feetns to have been unknown prior to the coinage of filver 
money at Rome; the pondera gravis ceris being fufficient 
before that time for ail the purpofes of a Itate in which 
money was fo fcarce. But, however this may be, the 
pondus , or hundred weight of brafs, was precifely worth 
100 denarii, or a pound of filver. As the great fefter¬ 
tium was always valued at 1000 of the fmaller, or 
81 . 6s. 8d. we never find one feftertium mentioned in au¬ 
thors, but two, three, or more ; ten thoufand of them 
being equal to 83,333!. 6s. 8d. 
The (fates from which the Romans may be fuppofed 
firft to have derived their coinage, were the Etrulcans and 
the Greek colonies in Magna Graeciaand Sicily. Jofeph 
Scaliger, Gronovius, &c. contend that it was from the Si¬ 
cilians that the Romans firft derived their knowledge of 
money ; but Mr. Pinkerton argues that it was from the 
Etrufcans. In confirmation of his opinion, he appeals to 
the Hate of the Roman territories in the time of Servius 
Tullius, who is looked upon to have been the firft who 
coined money at Rome. At that time the whole Roman 
dominion did not extend beyond ten miles round the city; 
and was entirely furrounded by the Etrufcan and Latin 
(fates; Cumae being the next Greek colony to it that 
was of any confequence, and which was in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of Naples, at about the dilfance ot 150 miles. 
Our author alks, “ Is it reafonable to think that the Ro¬ 
mans received the ule of money from the Etrufcans and 
Latins who were their neighbours, or from the Greeks, 
who were at a dilfance, and at that time, as far as appears 
4 from 
