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Colombia, United States Of

Money is reckoned in this republic in pesos or current dollars of 8 reals. There is no special coinage. At Guatemala bills on London are drawn at 90 days' sight, and the exchange is at a fixed rate of 5 pesos for £1, with a variable agio. The metric system of measures and weights was introduced in 1857, but the arroba of 25 pounds, the quintal of 100 pounds, and the carga of 250 pounds, are in general use. The Colombian pound is equal to 1.102 lbs. avoirdupois. The English yard is mostly employed in measures of length.

CUBA.

HAVANA.

Accounts are stated in dollars divided into 100 cents, or into 8 reals, each of 34 maravedis, which are converted by merchants into sterling at the fixed rate of $444 for £100, or nearly 4s. 6d. per dollar; the variations of exchange being made by percentages upon the amounts in sterling. As the intrinsic value of the Spanish dollar is only about 4s. 2d., the exchange may be regarded at par when the premium is 8 per cent.; or when £108, valued as above = bill on London for £100. Bills on London are drawn at 60 days' sight; and the course of exchange fluctuates from about 6 to 20 per cent. premium: the exchange at Havana was lately quoted at " 14 per cent. premium." The par with France is 5 f. = $1. In The standard measures and weights of Spain are those generally in use. trade the following proportions are commonly observed :-108 varas = 100 Imp yards, or I vara = 33/½ Imp. inches; the fanega = 3 Winchester, or 2.9 Imp. bushels; the arroba of wine or spirits = 4.1 English wine gallons, or 3.42 Imp. gallons; the quintal of 4 arrobas, each of 25 lbs. = 1013/4 lbs. avoirdupois, or I arroba = 25 lbs. 7 oz. avoirdupois.

DENMARK.

The decimal system of currency was introduced in Denmark in 1875, the unit being the krone divided into 100 öre, and is valued at the rate of 1874 kroner to £1, making the value of the krone equal to about is. 11/4d. sterling. Measures and Weights. The ell of 2 Rhineland feet = 243/4 Imp. inches; the mile of 2400 ruths = 8244 Imp. yards or 4.684 British statute miles. The viertel of 4 kans or 8 pots = 1.70 Imp. galls., and the hogshead of 30 viertels = 51 Imp. galls.; the ahm of 4 ankers = 33.14 Imp. galls. The toende or barrel of 8 skieps or 144 pots = 3.83 Imp. bushels; the last of corn contains 12 toendes, or 45.91 Imp. bushels; the last of coals, 18 toendes; and the last of oil, butter, or herrings, 12 beer toendes each of 136 pots. The shippond of 20 lisponds, or 320 lbs., = 3+ cwt. nearly; and the centner of 100 lbs. = 11014 lbs. avoirdupois. The ship-last is 4000 Danish lbs. The Copenhagen mark of 8 ounces, used in weighing gold and silver = 3633 troy. The German system is also used.

ECUADOR.

Accounts are stated in piastres or dollars divided into 8 reals or 100 cents of the approximate value of 4s. Since 1856 the French metrical system of weights and measures has been the legal standard.

EGYPT.

The money of account is the piastre or chirsh (of 40 fuddahs or paras), a base coin lately reckoned in exchanges only at the 100th part of £1, or 2d. sterling. The smallest Egyptian coin is the fuddah; there are also pieces of 5, 10, and 20 fuddahs. The saadeeyeh and kheyreeyeh are small gold coins equal, the former to 4, and the latter to 9 piastres. The coins of Constantinople are scarce. European and American dollars are generally reckoned equal to 20 piastres, and the Spanish pillar dollar to 21. Doubloons, sequins, and sovereigns are also current. The riyal is a nominal money = 90 fuddahs. The kees or purse = 500 piastres, or £5 or $25; the khuzneh or treasury = 1000 purses. = The measures and weights are stated by a good authority (Mr. Lane) to want uniformity. The principal are the common Egyptian cubit = 22 Imp. inches; the cubit chiefly used for measuring Indian goods 25 Imperial inches; the "cubit of Constantinople." used for measuring European cloth = 26/2 Imp. inches; the ardeb, corn measure, of 6 weybehs, or 24 roobas = 4.88 Imp. bushels nearly; the rutl or pound of 12 oockeeyehs, or 144 dirhems = nearly 153/4 oz. avoirdupois; the oockckah (or oke), of 400 dirhems = 2+ rutls = nearly 23/4 lbs. avoirdupois; the ckuntar (or cantar of 100 rutls) is from about 98 to 983/4 lbs. avoirdupois. FRANCE.

The money of account in the franc divided into 100 centimes, and equivalent to about 92d. sterling. Prior to 1797, the money of account was the livre tournois of 20 sous, each of 12 deniers. 81 livres are equal to 80 francs.

The modern coins are as follows:-Gold pieces of 40 francs, worth 31s. 83/4d. sterling, and pieces 5, 10, and 20 francs; these last, called Napleons, are worth 155. 1044d., and all are minted at the rate of 3100 francs from the kilogramme of standard metal of the fineness of 900 millièmes (thousandths), or ths, the remedy of the mint being, 2 millièmes in the weight, and the same in the fineness :* Silver pieces of 5, 2, 1, 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 francs, minted at the rate of 200 francs from the kilogramme of standard metal of ths fine, the remedy of the mint on the fineness being 2 millièmes, but on the weight varying from 3 millièmes, that on 5 franc pieces, to 10 millièmes, that on 14 franc pieces: -Billion or copper pieces of 20, 10, 5, 3, 2, and I centimes: the billion pieces for 10 centimes contain th part of silver. Of the old coins the principal are the louis d'or, of 24 livres, worth about 18s. 934d., the double louis d'or, and the silver écu, of 6 livres, worth about 4s. 6½d., with halves, quarters, etc.: also the copper sou accounted equal to 5 centimes. 9

The retenue on the kilog., ths fine, was fixed in 1835 at 6 f. for gold, and at 2 f. for silver; which in 1849 was reduced for silver to 1 f. 50 c.; but in 1854 raised for gold to 6 f. 70 c. Hence, if a kilogramme of gold ths fine be carried to the mint, the amount returned in coin is 3093 f. 30 c. instead of 3100 francs, the sum into which it is minted; for a kilogramme of silver ths fine also, 198 f. 50 c. only will be returned instead of 200 f. The fixed mint prices at which gold and silver are thus issued are termed tariff rates, and all variations in their market prices are expressed in agios or premiums upon such rates.

The par of exchange with London, deduced from the gold coins, is 25 francs 22/½ cents, but it varies with the market prices of gold bullion in London and Paris. Usance 30 days. No days of grace.

The Bank of France (1800), capital 182,500,000 francs, has upwards of 40 branches, and its operations resemble those of the Bank of England. Its notes vary from 50 f. to 5000 f. In Paris the Comptoir Nationale d'Escompte (1818) discounts bills and affords credit facilities on the hypothecation of merchandise. The Société Générale de Credit Mobilier (1852), capital 60,000,000 f., invests in stocks, shares, etc.; and the Crédit Foncier affords accommodation to the landed interest. There are also numerous local and private banks; but paper money is not in extensive use.