Money

Of uncoined money the first notice we have is in the history of Abraham (Gen. 13:2; 20:16; 24:35). Next, this word is used in connection with the purchase of the cave of Machpelah (23:16), and again in connection with Jacob’s purchase of a field at Shalem (Gen. 33:18, 19) for “an hundred pieces of money”=an hundred Hebrew kesitahs (q.v.), i.e., probably pieces of money, as is supposed, bearing the figure of a lamb. The history of Joseph affords evidence of the constant use of money, silver of a fixed weight. This appears also in all the subsequent history of the Jewish people, in all their internal as well as foreign transactions. There were in common use in trade silver pieces of a definite weight, shekels, half-shekels, and quarter-shekels. But these were not properly coins, which are pieces of metal authoritatively issued, and bearing a stamp. Of the use of coined money we have no early notice among the Hebrews. The first mentioned is of Persian coinage, the daric (Ezra 2:69; Neh. 7:70) and the ‘adarkon (Ezra 8:27). The daric (q.v.) was a gold piece current in Palestine in the time of Cyrus. As long as the Jews, after the Exile, lived under Persian rule, they used Persian coins. These gave place to Greek coins when Palestine came under the dominion of the Greeks (B.C. 331), the coins consisting of gold, silver, and copper pieces. The usual gold pieces were staters (q.v.), and the silver coins tetradrachms and drachms. In the year B.C. 140, Antiochus VII. gave permission to Simon the Maccabee to coin Jewish money. Shekels (q.v.) were then coined bearing the figure of the almond rod and the pot of manna.

MON'EY. Commerce, in its most primitive state, is a mere bartering, one kind of goods being exchanged for another. The next stage in commercial development is the invention of a common means of exchange, the establishment of the precious metals - gold and silver - as standards of value, the employment of money. This money, however, was not coined. It was simply the metal itself, kept in ingots, rings, etc., and used according to its weight, and when, in the period before the Captivity, the O.T. speaks of money - pieces of gold and silver, shekels, mina, talent, etc. - a certain weight of precious metal is meant thereby, and nothing more. Coined money does not occur among the Jews until after the Captivity, but then we meet successively with Persian, Greek, Syrian, Roman, and national Shekel. Ascribed to Simon Maccabseus. Jewish coins. The first Jewish coins were struck by Simon Maccabaeus, who, about b.c. 139, obtained permission to coin money from the Syrian king Antiochus VII. Shekels, half-shekels, etc., of gold, silver, and copper, were struck, showing on one side a vase, perhaps representing a pot of manna, and on the other side an almond branch with three flowers, perhaps representing Aaron's staff". After this time coins were struck by the Asmonaean princes, the Idumaean kings, during the first revolt under Eleazar, and during the second under Barcochebas; and besides these national Jewish coins, foreign coins of Persian, Greek, and Roman make circulated in great multitude in Palestine. Of these latter the following are mentioned in the Bible. Golden Daric. The daric, dram, or drachm, Ezr 2:69, is a Persian gold coin equal to about five dollars and fifty cents. The stater or piece of money, Matt 17:27, a Greek or Roman silver coin (a shekel in weight), in value over fifty cents. The stater, or coined shekel, of the Jews is often found in the cabinets of antiquaries at the present day. Roman Penny, or Denarius. The penny, Matt 22:19, or denarius, a Roman silver coin equal to an Attic drachma, or about sixteen American cents. "Shilling" would be a more correct translation. Assarion (farthing). Actual size. (From specimen in British Museum.) The farthing. Matt 10:29, a Roman silver coin equal to one cent and a quarter. Another piece of money equal to one fourth of a farthing is called by the same name, Matt 5:20; and the mite, Mark 12:42, was half of this last farthing, or about two mills of our currency.

MON'EY. Commerce, in its most primitive state, is a mere bartering, one kind of goods being exchanged for another. The next stage in commercial development is the invention of a common means of exchange, the establishment of the precious metals - gold and silver - as standards of value, the employment of money. This money, however, was not coined. It was simply the metal itself, kept in ingots, rings, etc., and used according to its weight, and when, in the period before the Captivity, the O.T. speaks of money - pieces of gold and silver, shekels, mina, talent, etc. - a certain weight of precious metal is meant thereby, and nothing more. Coined money does not occur among the Jews until after the Captivity, but then we meet successively with Persian, Greek, Syrian, Roman, and national Shekel. Ascribed to Simon Maccabseus. Jewish coins. The first Jewish coins were struck by Simon Maccabaeus, who, about b.c. 139, obtained permission to coin money from the Syrian king Antiochus VII. Shekels, half-shekels, etc., of gold, silver, and copper, were struck, showing on one side a vase, perhaps representing a pot of manna, and on the other side an almond branch with three flowers, perhaps representing Aaron's staff". After this time coins were struck by the Asmonaean princes, the Idumaean kings, during the first revolt under Eleazar, and during the second under Barcochebas; and besides these national Jewish coins, foreign coins of Persian, Greek, and Roman make circulated in

great multitude in Palestine. Of these latter the following are mentioned in the Bible. Golden Daric. The daric, dram, or drachm, Ezr 2:69, is a Persian gold coin equal to about five dollars and fifty cents. The stater or piece of money, Matt 17:27, a Greek or Roman silver coin (a shekel in weight), in value over fifty cents. The stater, or coined shekel, of the Jews is often found in the cabinets of antiquaries at the present day. Roman Penny, or Denarius. The penny, Matt 22:19, or denarius, a Roman silver coin equal to an Attic drachma, or about sixteen American cents. "Shilling" would be a more correct translation. Assarion (farthing). Actual size. (From specimen in British Museum.) The farthing. Matt 10:29, a Roman silver coin equal to one cent and a quarter. Another piece of money equal to one fourth of a farthing is called by the same name, Matt 5:20; and the mite, Mark 12:42, was half of this last farthing, or about two mills of our currency.

Part of speech: noun (n.)

1. A piece of metal, as gold, silver, copper, etc., coined, or stamped, and issued by the sovereign authority as a medium of exchange in financial transactions between citizens and with government; also, any number of such pieces; coin. To prevent such abuses, ... it has been found necessary ... to affix a public stamp upon certain quantities of such particular metals, as were in those countries commonly made use of to purchase goods. Hence the origin of coined money, and of those public offices called mints. A. Smith.

2. Any written or stamped promise, certificate, or order, as a government note, a bank note, a certificate of deposit, etc., which is payable in standard coined money and is lawfully current in lieu of it; in a comprehensive sense, any currency usually and lawfully employed in buying and selling.

3. In general, wealth; property; as, he has much money in land, or in stocks; to make, or lose, money. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. 1 Tim vi. 10 (Rev. Ver. ). Money bill (Legislation), a bill for raising revenue. -- Money broker, a broker who deals in different kinds of money; one who buys and sells bills of exchange; -- called also money changer. -- Money cowrie (Zoöl.), any one of several species of Cypræa (esp. C. moneta) formerly much used as money by savage tribes. See Cowrie. -- Money of account, a denomination of value used in keeping accounts, for which there may, or may not, be an equivalent coin; e.g., the mill is a money of account in the United States, but not a coin. -- Money order, an order for the payment of money; specifically, a government order for the payment of money, issued at one post office as payable at another; -- called also postal money order. -- Money scrivener, a person who produces the loan of money to others. [Eng.] -- Money spider, Money spinner (Zoöl.), a small spider; -- so called as being popularly supposed to indicate that the person upon whom it crawls will be fortunate in money matters. -- Money's worth, a fair or full equivalent for the money which is paid. -- A piece of money, a single coin. -- Ready money, money held ready for payment, or actually paid, at the time of a transaction; cash. -- To make money, to gain or acquire money or property; to make a profit in dealings.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

To supply with money. [Obs.]