The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal ... - IndianCoins.org

116 NUMISMATIC CHRONICLE.pointed out its gradual development, and has shownthat when some special article was required from adistance, it was ultimately obtained by aeffected between neighbours over a longseries of dealsdistance. Thisindirect trade cannot, however, be classed with directforeign commerce.Its natural development within a friendly communityruns, however, on different lines. Amongst the variousfamilies which formed such a corporation, the strongestwould eventually provide the ruler over them all.Between the different units order would be preserved,and security of property would exist, if the priceof peace were paid, and the primaeval law therebyabrogated. This tribute and also the price of amarriage contract when made must have been paid inkind, and the exact amount would have been stipulated.A tribute would take the form of so many head ofcattle, or so many measures of corn, or so many valuesof some other commodity.In this alternative is found the origin of a fixed andstandard value in which different classesof commoditiescould be reckoned. The receiver of tribute would appraiseand rank the articles which. he would receive assuch. Within his domains the scale which he hadauthorized would become customary, and would governthe equal exchange between members of the community.Hence we should expect to find in an elementarycommunity paying tribute to a ruling class, or to anautocratic ruler, a system of barter in which the variousamounts of different classes of commodities, which wereequal in value for exchange, were regulated by theirrank in the payment of tribute.This scale of values naturally only held good within