This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898 Excerpt: ...of the French monetary system in Switzerland without any actual coinage of gold pieces. Silver, 60 l-16d. 1851.--Discovery of the gold mines of Australia. 1853.--Lowering of the weight of silver pieces of less value than $1 to the extent of 7 per cent in the United States, and limitation of their legal-tender power to $5. Silver, 61%d. 1853.--Maximum of the production of gold reached in California when it amounted to $65,000,000. 1854.--Introduction of the gold standard in Portugal oui the basis of the crown of 16.257 grams fine. Before this period the country had the silver standard, with a rather large circulation of gold coins stamped on the basis of 1 to 15% in 1835 and 1 to 16% in 1847. Silver, 61%d. 1854.--Modification of the ratio of 1 to 15.77 in Spain by raising it to 1 to 15.48, and by lowering the piaster from 23.49 grams to 23.36 grams fine. 1854.--Introduction of the silver standard, as it existed in the mother country, in Java, in place of the ideal Javanese money, and coinage of colonial silver pieces. 1857.--Conclusion of a monetary treaty between Austria and the German States, in accordance with which 1 pound of fine silver (one-half a kilogram) was stamped into 30 thalers or 52% florins of south Germany, or 45 Austrian florins, resulting in 1 thaler equaling 1% German florins or 1% Austrian florins. Silver, 61%d. 1861.--Law decreeing the coinage of gold pieces of 10 and 20 francs exactly equal to French coins of the same denomination in Belgium. Silver, 61%d. 1862.--Adoption of the French monetary system by Italy. Silver, 61 7-16d. 1865.--Formation of the Latin Union between France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy on the basis of a ratio of 1 to 15%. Silver, 61 l-16d. 1868.--Adoption of the French monetary system by Roumania, with the excl...