Gold was discovered in Russia in 1743, near Nertschinsk, alluvial deposits having been observed in that year in the Ural mountains.  The mines extend over that parallelogram of the earth’s surface, comprised between the parallels of 50 deg. and 60 deg. of north latitude, between the Volga and Amoor rivers.  They were not generally explored until 1810.  In 1816 their product was but $80,000; at the close of 1823 there was a large development.  In 1830 the annual product was $4,000,000.  About that time the deposits of Siberia were discovered, and at the close of 1840 they yielded a greater production than those of the Ural.  In 1843 the total annual product of both regions was $18,000,000.  In 1853 it attained to $36,000,000, but since that date it has gradually declined to $22,000,000.  The total product of the Russian goldmines has amounted to $805,000,000.  The annual product of gold in Europe is $24,000,000.  The total product of gold in Europe, from the earliest times to the present day, has amounted to $4,145,000,000.

Gold was discovered in Australia by Edward Hammand Hargreaves, on the twelfth day of February, 1851, in the Bathurst and Wellington districts, and the mines extend from 18 deg. to 38 deg. of South latitude.  Their annual product has decreased from $75,000,000 in 1853 to $26,000,000 at the present time.  Their total product has amounted to $1,453,000,000.  The finest gold was obtained at Ballarat, and the largest nugget was dug up at Donolly, and weighed 2,448 ounces, valued at $46,000.  The New Zealand gold mines were discovered by Messrs. Hartly and Reilly, on the twentieth of August, 1861, in the Otago district, on the Molineux river, on the 45 deg. of South latitude.  Their annual product has decreased from $10,000,000 in 1863 to $4,000,000 at the present time.  Their total product has amounted to $176,000,000.  The annual product of gold in Asia (including Australia, New Zealand and Oceanica) is $32.000,000.  The total product of gold in Asia, from the earliest times to the present day, has amounted $2,065,000,000.

Gold was considered bullion in Palestine for a long time after silver was current as money.  The first mention of gold as money, in the Bible, is in David’s reign (B.C. 1056) when that king purchased the threshing-floor of Oman for six hundred shekels of gold by weight ($4,500.) The Lydians were the first people who coined money.  The word “money” is derived from the temple of Jupiter Moneta, where the Roman mint was established.  Croesus (B.C. 560) coined the golden stater, which contained one hundred and thirty-three grains of pure metal.  Darius, son of Hystaspes, (B.C. 538) coined the daric, which contained one hundred and twenty-one grains of pure metal; it was preferred for its fineness, for several ages, throughout the East.  It is supposed to be mentioned in the Old Testament under the name of dram.  Very few specimens have come down to us.  Their scarcity may be accounted for