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OCTOBER, 1897.] CURRENCY AND COINAGE AMONG THE BURMESE.
For my present purpose I cannot follow de la Couperie in his classification, and it will be more convenient to consider the many points that will present themselves in the following order :--
I. II.
Barter generally.
Natural produce:(1) Rice.
(2) Salt.
(3) Cotton.
(4) Mulberries.
(5) Cocoanuts.
(6) Livestock.
III. Manufactured Articles :
(1) Tea-bricks.
(2) Skins.
(3) Cloth.
(4) Drums.
(5) Glass jars.
(6) Pottery.
(7) Ingot iron and articles of iron.
(8) Gold and silver trees.
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IV. Conventional Currency:
(1) Cowries.
(2) Paper.
I..
Barter generally. Now, although de la Couperie says nothing as to general barter in China in his Chinese Coins, as above shewn, he has, at p. 13 f. of his Old Numerals and the Swanpan (Abacus) in China, an interesting, and in the present connection instructive, outline account of the history of barter in China. "Barter, in China, as every where else, preceded coinage. Gold, silver, copper, silk-cloth, tortoise-shell, precious stones, grains and shells of some kind, were used for that purpose, according to certain regulations afterwards introduced for the measures and equivalents of weight. Various sorts of small implements or tools in bronze, more convenient to pass from hand to hand, were soon preferred to the other materials. Tradition attributes the casting of that kind of objects in ancient times only for the sake of the people impoverished by droughts or otherwise. Small spades, adzes and knives, improper for the work for which their shape was intended, and later on, flat rings, were multiplied and entered into currency. Trustworthy statements are, however, scanty. Strict regulations for the barter were issued after the establishment of the Tchen Dynasty (Eleventh Century B. C.).49 At the beginning of the Sixth Century Tchwang, King of Tsu (one of the States of the Chinese Confederation), attempted, without success, to make all this differently sized bullion exchangeable, indiscriminately, regardless of its weight. It was the first attempt in China of a fiduciary money."
In Burma proper, habits of general barter have been noticed by many travellers. A typical instance is to be found among the Kachins in Anderson's Mandalay to Momien, p. 419"The tsawbwa-gadan (chief's wife) of Woonkoh duly arrived with her gift of fowls, eggs and aheroo (Kachin beer), and received broadcloth and other presents, with which she speedily disappeared, not without grumbling that she had not been paid in money for her fowls." Again at p. 374, he talks of the Kachins "coming down to barter their goods for salt and ngapé (fish condiment)."
49 One can hardly help taking these very early dates quantum valeant
