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Aurum, Gold

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120                                        AURUM.
able. In the imperial robes, as figured on the bezants, each disk appears as the centre of a square compartment in pearls, all sewn upon the stout purple silk. Like the Hindoos, the ancients, espe­cially the earlier races, were wonderfully skilful in working in wire, filigree, and repousse articles. (See Caelatura.)
Gold was esteemed a powerful amulet: thus infants and wounds were touched with it to prevent any spells from affect­ing them. Nevertheless, if it were held over fowls or sheep, it stopped their breeding, unless it were dipped in water, and the animals sprinkled therewith. Roasted in a pot with salt and vitriol, and a second time with salt and schistos (alum), it com­municated (though unchanged itself) a particular virtue to the dust, which rendered it a sovereign application for bad ulcers and for piles.
THE ROMAN STANDARD OF CURRENCY.
Pliny expresses his surprise that the Republic had exacted the tribute from all the subject nations in silver instead of in gold, as was the rule in his times. He did not pay attention to the fact that under the Eepublic the standard of currency was silver, and that all payments were estimated in that medium. There had indeed been a coinage of gold, commencing about 200 B.C., but to a very limited extent, and apparently not so much intended for commer­cial as for religious purposes, for distribution in prizes, or as offerings to certain deities under specified conditions. These coins were extremely minute, weighing 20 Roman grains (18 Troy), and current for 20 sestertii, the value XX being marked on the obverse. Doubles and Trebles of these are also extant, but the whole series ranks amongst the rarest of the rare. In fact, the republican gold currency was almost as limited in extent as that of Athens. But in the last half-century of the Eepublic it was considerably augmented, Julius Caesar, and the heads of the opposite party (more particularly in the Civil Wars following his death), coining pretty largely gold didrachms of the weight of the gold Philippus, then the universal currency of the civilised world. But under the Empire the whole monetary system was changed : gold became the standard, a matter of neces-
Aurum, Gold Page of 453 Aurum, Gold
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