THE COIN COLLECTOR - World eBook Library

THE COLLECTOR SERIES
the reverse. The double merk of James VI. (1578) is
also known as the Thistle-doUap. Charles II. (second
coinage, 1675-82) struck the dollar, half, quarter,
eighth, and sixteenth. All these are scarce in fine
state. The lioU'ij or rmg-doUar was the name given
to the remainder of the Spanish piece of eight, when
the centre had been cut out to form the dump ; the
former was current for 5s. and the latter for Is. 3d. in
New South Wales in 1813.
Drachma—The unit of the ancient Greek silver
coinage. There are didrachms, tridrachms, tetra-
drachms, pentadrachms, hexadrachms, octadrachms,
decadrachms, and dodecadrachms, with the hemi-
drachms and octadrachms in gold belonging to a
different standard, and no single monetary system
possessed all the silver we have specified. The tri-
drachm is also known in the ancient Roman consular
coinage, the silver denarius being in fact originally
based on the Greek piece. The drachma with its
moiety and multiples constitutes the monetary standard
in the two higher metals of the modern kingdom of
Greece.
Ducat—Both in the Dutch and German series we
find gold money expressly so called, as in the case of the
florin. Two double ducats of Philip II. of Spain struck
for Zeeland are described as Dvcatvs. Co. or Com. Zel.
or Zc. Val. His. or H't-sp., whence it may be inferred
that the Spanish Netherlands were required to accept
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