COINS A FOOT SQUARE

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 25, 1893

COINS A FOOT SQUARE.

GUSTAVUS STEINBERG, a Swedish coin dealer, received through the custom house a collection of exceedingly unique coins, which was exhibited at the Columbian Exposition. The coins came from Sweden, where they circulated in the sixteenth century. They bear more resemblance to pieces of boiler iron after an explosion than to money. The coins are great flat pieces of copper cut into very poor squares. The smallest coin is four inches square, and worth thirty cents; and the largest over a foot square, with a face value of four dollars.

Each slab of copper is stamped in several places with an inscription, giving its date of issue and its denomination. The largest weighed over four pounds. These enormous and cumbersome coins were the result of an absurd craze which prevailed several hundred years ago regarding the exclusive use of copper for money. It carried the coinage of copper to absurd lengths, and the people discarded its use. In those days of copper coinage wealthy ladies were compelled to hire an attendant to accompany them, to carry a bucketful of coppers, while shopping.—Selected.