THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

TERMINOLOGY
ton (sixteenth century), during the minority of James
VI., and hence of the copper pieces struck under his
authority.
Auriga—A charioteer.
Autonomous—The right to strike money without
external licence.
Banco—An artificial and usually reduced standard
of currency. (See Hazlitt, " Coins of Europe, 11
p. 184.)
This system, like that embodied in the terms courant
and species, has fallen into disuse.
Bar—The archaistic money, usually in bronze, struck
by the Low Countries for Java, in deference to the
local or native predilection. An analogous class of
coinage was employed for Ceylon.
Barbel—The name of a fish found on the money of
the Counts and Dukes of Bar and Lorraine and Bar.
Basel—The designation given to certain Swiss coins,
doubtless of billon, of which the currency in England
was prohibited under Henry II.
Bawbee—A billon piece, first struck under this name
by James V., with the half. Said to be derived from
bas-billon. It seldom occurs in fine condition. There
is a rather rude Scotish pleasantry about Jenny's baicbee.
Besant—(i.) A gold coin
215
in the Byzantine series
;