compared with the Rupee, changes from time to time, but it is generally to th of a Rupee, as above given.

In BOMBAY accounts are sometimes kept in Rupees, Quarters, and Raes. Thus :

In MADRAS accounts were formerly (and in some places are now) kept in Pagodas, Fanams, and Cash, as follows:—

But in all the old Government accounts, the Pagoda was divided into 32 Fanams. The Star-Pagoda was always considered as 3 Rupees. In some of the old Government accounts, the Pagoda was divided into 16ths, and th of a Pagoda was equal to 3 Annas. There were several kinds of Pagodas, but the British Star Pagoda was a gold coin weighing 52.56 grains. It was 19 carats fine, and contained 427 grains of pure gold, which, at the English mint price of £3 17s. 10 d. per ounce, gives its value as 7s. 523d. sterling.

Previous to the year 1835 each Presidency had its own Rupee, and even at the present time the old coins are still met with. The Sicca Rupee, circulated in the lower provinces of Bengal; the Furruckabad Rupee, in the upper and north western provinces; the Arcot Rupee, in Madras; and the Bombay Rupee, in Bombay. These were all 11ths fine. The Madras and Bombay Rupees weighed each 180 grains; the Furruckabad, 179.16 grains; and the Sicca-Rupee 191.916 grains. After two years circulation, the Sicca Rupee was called a Sonaut rupee (or coin of years) and was held to be 41 per cent. inferior to the Sicca Rupee. Then after further circulation the Sonaut became the Current Rupee, which was held to be 6 per cent. inferior to the Sicca Rupee. Hence Sonaut Rupees, and Current Rupees gradually crept into accounts, although they had no legitimate representatives in the currency.

The present Rupee is equivalent to the Bombay, the Furruckabad, or the Sonaut Rupee, and to 1gths of the Calcutta Sicca Rupee, and 16 of the present Rupees are equal to 15 Sicca Rupees and 100 Siccas equal 1063 of the present Rupees.*

* The Rupee struck in 1835, was, until 1862, stamped and called the "Company's Rupee." Since 1862 the stamp has been "Victoria" on one side and "India" on the other.

In 1835 the ratio of gold to silver was fixed at 15 to 1. This was too low a valuation of gold, and consequently it did not come into circulation. The relative value of gold and silver in India at present is 15 to 1.

In Bengal the term "gold Mohur is often used in the sense of 16 Rupees. This is because the Mohur, previous to 1835, weighed 204.71 grains, 11ths fine, and was a legal tender for 16 Sicca Rupees.

In 1848 a distinct copper currency was introduced in the settlements of Penang, Singapore, and Malacca to meet the want of a legal coin to represent, and to pass in Exchange for, fractions of the Spanish Dollar. This currency consists of the following coins: the Cent, weighing 144 grains Troy; the Half-Cent, weighing 72 grains Troy; and the Quarter-Cent, weighing 36 grains Troy.

CEYLON.

Accounts are kept in Pounds, Shillings, and Pence sterling. (See Great Britain and Ireland.)

The currency of Ceylon consists of Government Paper, convertable into the legal coins in circulation. These are British silver and copper coins; Rupees of India; and some silver Rixdollars, current at 1s. 6d. each, also Stivers and Fanams.

Previous to the year 1825 the Public Accounts were kept in Rixdollars, Fanams, and Pice or Stivers.

The currency consisted of silver Rixdollars, coined at the British mint for the use of the colony, of copper Fanams and Pice, and an inconvertable Paper Rixdollar issued by the Colonial Government.

GOA (In Portuguese India).

The chief money of account in Goa is the Pardo, which is divided into 4 Good or 5 Bad Tangos. It is also divided into 240 Good or 300 Bad Reis. The Pardo is equal to about 2s. 4d.

sterling.

MALAYA.

The only native coin is the Mon, or Zeni, or Piti, or Cash. It is a piece of tin with a hole in the middle. In large transactions among the natives the precious metals pass current by weight. Foreign moneys, especially Spanish and Mexican Dollars, and the Rupee, Half-Rupee, and lower coins of India, are also accepted. Those in Malacca, Singapore, and Penang form the legal currency.

BURMAE.

The monetary system of Burmah resembles that of China, a Tical or Kyat's weight of silver being the chief unit of the monetary system employed in reckoning and accounts.

There is also for money reckonings the decimal subdivision of the Tical, as in China.

The Tical, or Kyat, is a weight equal to 351 grains troy. Its value is generally reckoned at a Rupee of India, or rather the Rupee is generally accepted as a Tical. If the silver were of the purity of English standard, the Tical would be intrinsically

G

worth about 2s. 8d. sterling, but the quantity of alloy in the precious metals in Burmah varies very considerably.

There are no coins, and large payments are made by means of gold and silver bullion by weight. Silver is the standard of value and the principal medium of payment. There are ingots of both gold and silver varying in size from a round cake, weighing from 263 Ticals, to very small pieces.

In small payments pieces of lead are also used. The valuerelation of silver to lead is usually reckoned at about 1 of pure silver to 500 of lead. Occasionally, however, 15 Viss of lead are given for a Tical, but sometimes in cities a Tical is reckoned at 7 or 8 Viss.

Formerly Couries, and kidney shaped pellets in silver and gold, impressed with stamp, and of various sizes, formed the only medium of payment in Siam, but now there is a regular coinage.

SILVER COIN.

The silver coin is the Tical, which weighs 236 grains Troy, and is worth about 2s. 6d. sterling. The device on one side is an elephant, and on the other something like three umbrellas standing one above the other.

The standard of purity of the new Tical is (I think) 900 parts of pure silver to 100 parts of alloy. Formerly the fineness was 9 dwts. better than silver of the English standard.

GOLD.

8

Hitherto the Government has not issued any gold coins; but gold is received as payment by the Tical weight. Siamese Ticals are equivalent to 5 Chinese Ticals.

Lately the Spanish Dollar, worth 4s. 2d. sterling, has become a very frequent medium, especially with foreign merchants. Dollars are accepted in payment at the rate of 3 Dollars for 5 Ticals.

PEWTER COINS.

The pewter coins are the Half and the Quarter P'hai-nung. These are used instead of Cowries for small change. They bear the same device as the Tical, and also an inscription in Siamese, Chinese, and English, stating their value.

ANAM (or Cochin China.)

Accounts are commonly kept in Quan, Mas, and Sopeks, as

follows:

Anamese value.

These values are calculated at the rate of 1 Kuon for the Spanish Dollar, worth 4s. 2d. sterling.

Until a comparatively recent date there was no native gold or silver coinage in Anam, and the only coin was the Sopek, or Dong, or Cash, a piece of zinc of the same shape as the Chinese Cash, and like it having a hole in the middle. 600 of these Sopeks form a Quan, or string, and are strung upon a piece of ratan and kept ready for use.

Sopeks form the chief medium of payment in all small transactions. For large transactions Ingots of gold and silver of various weights, and bearing the Government Stamp, are accepted in payment, although they are not considered coin. These have different names, and are as follows:

GOLD.

The gold Ingot, or Loof of 10 Taels' weight, and the Half Ingot or Loof, 5 Taels weight, worth respectively about £53 and £26. 10s. sterling, and the Dinh Vang, or Golden Nail of 1 Tael, and worth about £5. 6s. sterling.

SILVER.

The silver Ingot, or Nen-bac of 10 Taels' weight and worth about £3. 4s. sterling; the Dinh-bac, or Silver Nail, weighing 1