Ecu, a silver coin in the old system of France, and also at Geneva and other places in Switzerland. In'France it was of 6 livres ; and the Petit Ecu, or half-crown, of 3 livres. The ecu, or patagon, of Geneva was worth 3 livres or 106 florins. Those coined in 1796 were of the English value of 48. 9d.
Escalin.-The escalin, or shilling, was formerly a base silver coin in the Netherlands, at 6 stivers of exchange, or 7 stivers current, Of the English value of 6d., and its double in proportion.
Panam, a small coin in the East Indies, both of gold and silver, now disused. The gold ones were alloyed with silver, and 24 of them were reckoned for an old Negapatam pagoda, which went for 8s. The silver fanam of Bombay was worth about 4;.d.; that of Pondicherry 31d.
Farthing, an English copper coin, the fourth of a penny. It 's said to have been a round coin in the time of some of the later Saxon kings ; they usually at that period' consisted of the fractions or parts of the penny broken into four. Instances of pennies neatly and accurately cut into halves and quartera occur almost wherever Saxon coins have been di covered. The fourthling, as money, is twice men tioned in the Arsle-Saxon version of the Gospels. (Matt. v. 26 ; Luke xii. 2.1 lialf-farthings were coined in 1852, chiefly for the use of the British colonies.
klualisi, a gold coin of Mysore, struck by Tippoo Seib, of the value sterling of 70.11d. - A variety of the pagoda.
Idiepo, or Philip, an old silver coin of Milan, worth about 4s. 85d. Mein. a money of account and silver coin In Holland, Belgium. and Germany, callal also gulden and gulden, and, by corruption, gilder or guilder. The florin of Holland and Bavaria is worth about Is. 8d.; that of Belgium is equal to a franc, or 100 centimes ; the heavy for conrembees esens) florin of Austria is worth about 2x. 4d., but coin is rare throu;hout the Austrian dominions; paper supplying its place down to notes of 6 krtutzera. At Frankfortsam-Maine it is only worth Is. 7d.
Florin is also a gold coin at Hanover and in other parts of Germany, though chiefly current in the countries on the banks of the Rhine ; parsing generally for 2 rix-dollars current. Assay value about 6*. Ild.
Fl Ai* is also the name of an English silver coin current for 2,., and weighing 7 theta. 6fi gra It was also the name of an earlier English coin, both in gold and silver. [Cole Fourpennypiece, an English silver coin, the third part of a shilling, weighing 1 dwt. 5 gra. There are also silver coins for threepence, twopence. and pence, but the lastsnamed two are not coined for general circulation, and are only given in small numbers as Maunday money.
Fronr, a money of account and silver coin of France, Sardinia, Switzerland, and Belgium, with its double, quintuple, and lower pro portions, down to 1.5th of the French franc, weighs 77'17 grains,
contains 69'453 grains of pure silver, and is worth 10d. Those of Belgium, Sardinia. and Switzerland are very nearly the same. The gold coins are pieces of 40, 20, and 10 franca, value 31s. 9d., 15s. 105d., and 7s. End. The old Switzerland franc was worth 18. 2d.
Frederick, or Friederich's d'Or, a gold coin in Prussia and Denmark, worth 16.. 54I. There are also double and half Fredericks.
GhttsiA, a Turkish silver coin, equal to 25 piasters, or about 4.. 6d. In Syria, it is a gold coin, but the value is somewhat less.
Odder, or Guilder, see Florin.
Giulio, a small coin of base silver, formerly current in Italy ; half a lira.
Gold C. own, a coin of Portugal, worth 11. 3s. Ild.
Gram), a copper coin, and the money of account in Naples, Sicily, and Malta. It is worth 4-10ths of an English penny.
Orme/ten, a small coin, and money of account in Prussia, Hanover, and other parts of Germany. A Prussian silver grosehen is worth a penny English. There are also coins of 10, 5, and 25 gro:chen. The gute grosehen of Hanover are 24 to the thaler, and worth nearly I5d.
Grosso, a silver coin of central Italy, worth about Crete. a small coin and money of account, in use at Bremen : 74 grotes make I rixalollar. It is worth rather more than a hnlipenny. Guilder, see Florin.
Guinea.-The unit, as it was called. or twenty-shilling gold piece, was first coined by King James I. The appellation of Guinea was given because great quantities of them were coined out of gold brought from the Guinea coast by the Royal African Company, which are distinguished by an elephant under the bead, some a castle, others without. The guinea had not been long in currency before common consent had raised it to 21s. About the [era of the ]tevolution, .fames Ira guinea was paid and received at 21.. ad. In the reign immediately subsequent, the gold money remaining without alteration In weight and fineness, and the silver money growing daily of less value by clipping and counterfeiting, occasioned 25.., then 28.., and at last 30s. to be given for a guinea ; but no sooner was the silver money restored to its first' value by the grand recoinage, than the guinea was again reduced, first to 28s., then to 26.., and filially to 22. , and soon after, by common consent, was paid and remained as before at 21s. 6d., and continued at that price for twenty years after. In 1717 the guinea was reduced to 24.. at which it continued till the latter part of the reign of George III., when the coining of guineas ceased.