It is not necessary to recall here the names and denominations of all the coins or money used in the various foreign countries. I shall simply give the money of account of the principal countries. By "money of account" we mean the kind of money in which the people keep their accounts, as, for example, we keep our accounts in dollars and cents.

Commencing with North America, we have, in addition to the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and we will include the West Indies.

Canada

Notwithstanding that Canada is a British colony, its trade relations with the United States were too important to admit of the adoption of the complicated British monetary system, and the accounts are kept in dollars and cents as in the United States. The United States "gold eagle" ($10) and the British "pound" or "sovereign" are legal tender for all amounts.

Mexico

Mexico's money of account is the peso, or dollar, of 100 centavos, or cents - worth 40 to 50 cents in our money. Being one of the chief silver-producing countries of the world, the greater part of its coinage is exported to China, the Philippines, and Central and South America, in which countries the Mexican peso, or dollar is the favorite coin.

Central America

The Central American states all have for their unit of money the peso of 100 centavos - not exactly like the Mexican peso, but more like the peso of the South American States, which is similar to the French system - their unit being equal to about 5 francs.

West Indies

There are many islands comprising the group known as the West Indies. Porto Rico is now owned by the United States, and Cuba was until recently practically controlled by us. In both islands efforts are being made to supplant the Spanish peseta with the American dollar as the money of account. Most of the other islands are possessions or colonies of European countries, and as a rule keep their accounts in the money of their mother-country.

South America

In South America, Uruguay, Paraguay, the Argentine Republic, Colombia, and Chili use the peso of 100 centavos, as in Central America. Brazil uses the milreis of 1,000 reis; Peru, the sol of 10 dineros, each dinero being equal to 10 centavos, or cents; Bolivia calls its unit the boliviano of 100 centavos, and Ecuador, the sucre of 100 centavos. The value of their units in our money fluctuates, but is approximately 50 cents.

In drawing drafts on Central and South America, and to some extent on Mexico, they are for United States dollars payable in New York, which are, of course, cashed in the money of the country where payable, at the current rate of exchange on New York.

Africa

In Africa, Egypt's money of account is the Egyptian pound of 100 piastres, which, although of greater value intrinsically, is worth less commercially than the British pound sterling. Algeria is a French colony and uses the French system; and the same is true of Madagascar, the third largest island in the world. Cape Colony, Natal, the Transvaal, Orange River Colony, Sierra Leone, and Zanzibar are British colonies and use the English pound sterling as their unit.

Oceanica

In Oceanica, the islands of Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and a portion of Borneo use the British pound sterling by reason of being British colony, Sierra Leone, and Zanzibar are British colonies and use the gulden or guilder.

Japan

Japan's money of account is the yen of 100 sen - which formerly was worth about $1, but in 1898 its value was reduced to about 50 cents.

Philippine Islands

In the Philippines, although now possessions of the United States, preference is given to the Mexican dollar as formerly, which is worth in our money from 45 to 50 cents, according to the market price for silver.

India

British India, with its population of nearly 240,000,000 - nearly three times that of the United States - has for its money of account the rupee of 16 annas, the anna being equal to 4 pice and 1 pice equal to 3 pie - not "the kind of pie our mothers used to make." The value of the rupee in our money is about 33 cents. India, being a very poor country, uses coins of very small value, the smallest coin (the pie) being worth about 1/4 cent in our money.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a small island just off the coast of China. Victoria, the capital, and practically the only place there, has a population of nearly 200,000. Most of the trade of China with the rest of the world is done through Victoria, or, as we know it best, Hong Kong. The money of account of Hong Kong is the dollar of 100 cents, but, as in other oriental countries, the Mexican dollar is preferred to the local currency.

China

China, has several kinds of money - the dollar of 100 cents; also a silver coin called the tael. The latter varies in value according to the locality and the price of silver in London. But the Mexican dollars constitute the principal circulating medium. In fixing the valuation of the Haikwan tael for the purpose of adjusting the Chinese indemnity, resulting from the war after the Boxer rebellion there, the plenipotentiaries made the equivalent in American money 74 2/10 cents.

Like India, China is a very poor country, and the coins most extensively used are of very small value. They have a coin called "cash," about the size of our silver quarter (25-cent piece) made of copper and zinc, with a square hole in the center. One thousand of these are issued on a string - that's what the hole is for - the lot being equivalent to about $1 in our money, or 1/10 of a cent each.