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

THE ELEMENTS OF PRIMAEVAL FINANCE. 119merchant to satisfy his ambition, and to demonstratethe success of his trading. It follows, therefore, thatwithin a self-contained country, only a simple systemof equal barter was necessary, based upon a fixedvalue.This value was originally expressed alternatively indifferent kinds of wealth, and in no particular one ofthem was it originally formulated.The Greek raXavrov is probably derived from a rootwhich meant "to 4carry," and may have originally had theforce of "what was carried in tribute." Its later Homericmeanings of (1) scales, (2) a standard weightof somematerial, are instructive. For the material in questionhad to be weighed first of all to ascertain its quality, orspecific value and a ; quantity thus appraised could then5be reckoned in valuable amount by units of weight.* 0. Schrader, Reallexikon der indogermanischen Altertumskunde,points out that the Greek To.Ko.vrov is related to ra\d