2

Tables of Ancient Coins ,

any sort of possession as well as money.) If arguments aposteriorewere to be used in this case, I sliould be very apt to give Cainthe honour of the Invention; were he now alive, I'm lure itwould rejoice his soul to see what misehief it had made amongmankind. His lineal defcendent and name-seke Tubal-Cain, probablymust have had his art from him, b for he was a great Artificer inBrass and Iron.

£ That Noah or Jams understood it, may be very well support-ed by his Image found upon the first Roman Coins: one side wasstampt with a Janus hifrons , and the other with a Rofirum or Prowof a Ship. This is as good an argument as an Antiquary could wiih for.The seme is confirm’d by the Interpreter of Homer in Iliad 5.who faith that Janus first invented a Crown, a Ship, and BrassMoney.

d That there was current money in Abraham's time is past doubt,,tho’ it’s not sure that it was stampt, for he is seid to be rich in Cattle >in Siher and in Gold. e Abimelech gave to Abraham as Sarah's brother1000 Keseph or pieces of Siher. { Joseph was sold by his Brethrenfor 10 pieces, g and gave to his Brother Benjamin 300 pieces.

Amongst profane Writers there is one h Phido an Arghe or Greek,who is seid to be the first who stampt money; ' but Herodotuswith more reason ascribes the invention to the Lydians. k JuliusPollux attributes it to EriBhonius amongst the Athenians and Lycians :'Some to the Naxians , some to the Phœnicians , others to lonusin Thefialy , as appears by some verses of Lucan. m Callus gives itto a Lady, one Hermodice wife of Midas King of Phrygia. " Amongstthe Romans it stands between Numa and Servius Tullius: Pliny givesit to the latter, who was the first that stampt Brass, which the

Romans

d Genes. c. 4. ssjupox-oTo?

Ktu mJ'wk, LXX. Interprctes. Malleator & sa-ber in cuncta opera Æris & Ferri. « Plin.lib. ZZ- cap. 3. In una quidem parte Janus ge-minus leu bifrous, ex altera vero Rostrum Na-vis suit. d Genes. c. 13. v. 2. « Genes,

c. 20. * Gen. 37. % Gen. 45.^ h Stra-

bo lib, 8. * Herodot. lib. 1. ■xpfoTo/

’iJ'/s.iV voixitrf^ct ypujx koj

apyvfts It Jul-Pol. lib.p-

1 Primus Theslalicas rector telluris lonusIn formam calidæ percuffit pondera MafTæ:Fudit & argentum flammis, aurumque monetaFregit, & iminenfis coxit fornacibus æra.lllic quod populos scelerata impegit in ar ma,

Divitias numerare datum est-

m Celius lib. 21. Antiqu. lect. n Plin. lib. 33.cap. 3. Servius Rex primus signavit Æs. antearudi usos RomæTimæus tradit. Signatum estnota pecudum: unde & pecunia appellata.