Gold

Frora the Continental Monthiy. Gold, next to ron, is the most widelydiflused metal upontho etirfnce of our globe. It occurs in granite the oldest rock known to us, and in ü!l the rocks derived from it ; it is also found in thë veinstones which traverse other geo logica] formations, bilt has never been found in any secondarj7 formation. - It is, however, much more common in alluvial grounds than omoiig primitive and pyrogenous rocks. It ia found riisseminated, under the form rif spangles, in the eilicious, argillaceons, and ferruginotfB sands of certain plains and rivers, especially in their jnnction, at the season of low water, and after storm and temporary floodn. It is tho only metal of ayel'ow color; it ie readily chrystaliznble, and always issumes ono or more of the symrneiricul shapes, ench ns the cube or regular octahsdroo, It aflords a resplendent polish, and ma}' be exposed to the atmosphere for anv length of time, without Ruffering any change; il isremarkablo for its beauty ; is nineteen times heavier than water, and, next to platinum, the heaviest known substance; its niallenbility in such that a cubio inch will cover thlrtyfive hundred square feet; its diictiKty is such, that a Imnp 'of the value of four hundred dollars oould be drawn ioto a wire which would extend around the globe. It is first mentionod in Genesis ii, 11. It was found in the countrv of Havilah, where the rivers Euphrates and Tigris unite and discharge their waters into the Persian gulf. The relativo valué of gold to süver in the days of the patriarch Abraham was one to eight ; at the pariod of b c, 1000, it was one to twelve ; n. c. 500, it was one to thirteen ; at the coramencement of the Christian era, it was one to nine; a. d 500, it was ono to eighteen ; a. d. 1100, it was one tti eight ; a. i) 1-400, it was one to eleven ; a. d. 1013, it was ono to thirteön ; a d. 1700, it was one to fiftoen and a half; which latter ratio, with but slight variation, it hns tnaintained to the present day. Gold waa considerad builion in Palestino for a long Period after süver had been current aR money. The first rnention of gold money in the Bible is in David's reign (b. c. 105C ) when that king purchased the threshmg fioor of Ornan for six hundred shekeis of gold by weight. In the early period of Greoinn hintory the quantity of the precious metal increased but slowlv; the circuating medium did not increase in proportion with the quantity of bullion. - In the earliest days of Greece, the precious metuls existed in great abundunce in the Levant. Cabul and Little Thibet (b. o. 500) vvere abundant in gold. It seems to be a well ascertained fact, that it was obtained near the surfacii-; so that countries, whiuh formerly yielded the metal in great abundatict-, are now entirely destitute of it. Crcesus (b. c. 560) coined the golden staer, which contaijed one huuured and thirty-three graiiis of pure metal. L'arius, son oí Hystaspes (b. c. 538), coined dares, containing one hundred and twenty-one gr ins of pure metal, which were preferred, for several ages throughout the Kast, for their fineness. Next to the darics were soinecoina of the reigns of the tyrants of Sicily : of Gelo (b. c. 491); of Hiero (b. c. 478); and of DionysiuR (b. o. 404). Specimens of the two fonuer are still preserved in modern cabinets. Darirs are supposed tp be msntioned in the latter bookg of tho Old Testument, under the name of drams. Very few specimens of the daric have come down to us ; their scarcity may be accounted for by the fuct that they were meled down under the tyjie of Alexander. Gold coin was by no means plenty in Greece until Philip of Macedón had put the mines ot Thrare into full operation, about b, c. 360. - Gold was also obtained by tha Greeks from Asia Minor, the adjacont islands, which possessed it in ubundonce, and from India, Arabia, Armenia, Colclns, and Troas. It was found mixed with the sands of the Pactolus and other rivers There are only about a dozen Greek coins in existence, threeof which are in the British Museum ; and of the latter, two are stateis, of the weight of one hundred and twenty-nine graitis each. About b c. 207, gold coins were first struck off at Kome, and were denominated auei, four specimens of which are in the institution before tlluded to. Their weight wns one hundred and twonty one -grains. Gold coins were first issued in Franco by Clovis, a. i. 489 ; about the s:ime time they were issue in Spain by Amalric, the Gothic king; in both kiogdonis they were called tsientes. They were first issued in England A. d. i'257, in the shape of a penny. Florins were next issued, in 1344, of the value of six shillings, The'guinea was first issued in 1G63, o{ Guinea gold. In 17o: all the gold coins - nobles, angels, rials, crowns, units, lions, exurgats, etc., etc., were callod in and forbidden to circulate. The present sovereign was first issned in 1847. From the commencemet of the Christian era to the discovery of Arnerca, the amount of gold obtained from the surface and bowels of the earth is estitnated to be thirty-eight hundrad miliions of dollars; from tho date of the latter event to the close of 1842, an addition of twenty-eight hundred mllions was obtained. The discovery and extensivo working of the Russian mines added, to tho close of 1852, six hundred miliions more. The doublé diseoverv of the California mines in 1848, and óf the Australia mines in 1851 has added, to the present time, tweuty-one hundred miliions; making a grand total of ninety-three hundred miliions of dollars. The average loss by wear and tcar of i-oiii is 68timated to be one-tenth of one per cent por anoum; and the loss by consumption in the an?, by fire and shipwreck, at from one to thrre rr illions por anni'in. A cubic incb of L?olJ 'a north at (L3 Í7r. 10-d., or $18.69 per ounée) two bundred and ten dollars; a cubic foot, three hundred and sixty two thousand eight hundred and eightv dollars; n otibio Jiird, nine millions ñire hundred und seyenteen thousnnd feven hundred and sixty dollars The ümoíint nf gold in exiatenoo, at the commencëfiient of the Chtistian en, i estimated to be iour hundred ai d twenty etven mülions of dollars; ut the period of the diaeovery of America, it had ditrinished to fifty seven millions; after the cccurreoce of that event, it gradually iricret.sed, nnd n 1C00, it attiiined to orie hundred and five millions in 1700, to ihree hundred and filty one millions; in 1800, to eleven hundred nnd Mv;enty fiVe miliions; 184í, to two thou-and millions; in 1813, to three thousand millions; nnd it the present timo, the amount of gold in exiatence is estimated to ba forty-eight hundred millions of dollars; whicbj welded into ore mass, could be contnined in a cuba of twenty-four fc et. Of the amount now in existence, three ■hoiisand millions g eatimated to be in coin and bqtiion, and ihe remainder in watehes, jewelry, plato, etc., etc. The liuBsiiin gc'd mines were discovered in 1819, and extend over one1 third of the eircuraferenoeof thé globe,upon tho parallel of 65 north latitude. Their product, since their discovery to the present time, has amounted to eight hundred millions of do lars The California gold mines were discovered by William Marshall, on the Oth day of February, 1818, at Sutter'a Mili, upon the American Fork, a tribu" tary of the Sacramento, and extond from 34 to 49 of North latitnde.- ïheir product, ince their discovery to the prttsépt time has am 'iinted to'one thousand and forty-seven millions ot dollats. The Auctralia gold mifles were dipcovered by Edw-afd fiammood Hargravesi, on the twelfih day of Febiuary,1851, in the Balhurèt :i"nd Wellington district, and extend fr m 30 to 38 oí South latitude. Their product, since their di.-covery to the pre-ent timef has aniountcd to nine hundrtd and eieven millions of dollars. The finesi gna is obtained at Bullurat, and thö largest nugget yet obtained welghed twetüy-two hundred and seventeen ouncef, valued at forty-pne thousand dollars. In shapo it resembled a continent with a península attaohed bv a narrow inthmus. The annual product o' gold at the commencement of the Gbristian eru is es iniuted at eight hun dred thounand dollars; at the periotl of the discovery of America it h:td diininished to ono hundred thousand dollars; after the occurrence of that event it gradually increased, and in 1600 it atlained to fvo miHions; and in 1700, to five millions; in 1800, to fifteen millions; in 1843. to thirty-iour millions; in 1850, to eighty-eight mllions; in 1862, to two hundred and ihirty-six millions; but owing to thj falling ofl of the Californi i as well aa ihe Australia miies, the product of the present year will not probably exced ono hun'liod and nmety millions. Since 1792 to the pree-ent time, the gold coinage of the United States mint has amounted to sevon hundred and forty millions of dollars, ot which six hundred and filty iive millions have been issued since 18Ö0. The gold coinage of the Freiich mint, since 1726, haa amounted to eighty-seven hundred millions of franoM, of which fiftytwo hundred and fifty millions have been issued since 1850 The gold coinage of the British mint, sinue 1603, has amouted to tvro hundred and eighty millions of pounds sterling; of which seventy-five millions have been issued since 1850 The g"ld coinnge ot the Russian mint, wnoe 1664, has amonntéd to fivo hundred and twenty-six million of röulila, of which two hundred and sixty millions h;ve been issued since 1850. Tlin sovereign of Eiigland cont-jins ono hundred und twelve grains of pure metal ; the new doubloonof Spftia ona hundred and Ofieen; tho half eagl of the United átate.-, one hundred and sixteen; the gold lion of tho Wetherlands, and the doublé on nee of Sicily, one hundred and Revontoen yrairm each; the diuat of Austria, one h ndred aud sx; the twenly-franc piece of France, ninety; andthe half imperial of Rus ia, ninoty one grains. A minissioner lias beer, despa'ehed by t u United StatcsCr'ivernment to Eniiland, Franco, and üthf r countries of E;:i e, to confer wiih their respective govern nenta upon the expedifiy of a lopting a uniform system of coinago tln-ougliout the world, so that the coias o! one country may circula'e in :.ny other, wi hout the expenso of ïvcoinage - a imnaumra ■ition most devoutly to ba wished. The fct that the large amount of gold vhich has been thrown into the monetary oirculation cjí the world within the List fuiirtoen years, has exereisod bo littlo influonce upon the money rnarket or prices general! v, is at variance with the predibtions of financia! writers upon both fides of the Atlantic. The increase in the present production of gold, compared wiih fontier periods, is enorinou-t ; and it wöuld not be snrprising if, in view of the exploratons which are goingon África, Japan, Borneo, and other countries bordering upon the equator, theproductol the precious metáis within the next decade s'nould he a million of dollars daily. - The price of gold has not d rninished, although the annual product has incraped fivefold within twentv Tar.