The debasement of the coinage Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The debasement of the coinage - Research Paper Example Coins have been used as collectors’ items and mediums of expression, but largely used as currency since historical times. Historical minting techniques are still being used, though nowadays people leverage on technology for efficiency. Precious metals and mints require techniques used to ensure that the value of the constituent precious metal does not exceed the face value of the coin. Understanding these techniques plays a critical role in understanding inflation control. Introduction The use of precious metals as a medium of exchange is said to have began in Egypt, though this took the form of rings, wafers and bars.According to Vincent Lannoye, Lydia, nowadays referred to as Turkey, was the first smelter of small ingots having a royal seal to certify legality and weight (19). Rulers quickly integrated these micro-ingots into their economies. The Lydian people accepted payments in electrum metal, which is an alloy of gold and natural silver. These micro-ingots developed into coins that were minted by masculine men who could strike blank discs to leave engravings that certified the origin of the coins. Through the centuries, coin making, referred to as coinage, improved fast. More regular coins became available through the replacement of the bank discs with regular laminated metal plates. Later, quasi-uniform coins came into existence with the replacement of the hammer with the screw-press and furthered the adoption of the rolling-press, which was rotated by horse power. Minting Minting of coins has been a precise and well-guarded function of selected mints commissioned and governed by respective authorities in various countries. From the outset, the minting procedure involved producing precise blanks with defined weights and composition and producing coin-striking tools. Principally, these requirements still hold from historical times, as observed by the Marshall Cavendish Corporation, only that the methods have been improving with technical progress a nd industrialization (507). Historically, the Lydian people poured the molten electrum into suitable forms, starting from simple moulds to more complicated ones. In the 16th Century, the thickness of metal sheets was reduced through hammering with the blanks cut out using shears, then filed and hammered to the desired thickness and weight. The period about 1550 saw a German silversmith, known as Marx Schwab, invent screw pressing. This involved two heavy iron screws pressing the coin metal so as to achieve the desired thickness. Roller-mills facilitated the production of uniform metal strips from which metal punches cut the blanks (Christopher Howgego 76). The mechanized form of this technique still finds application in modern coin minting. The Industrial Age discovery since 1830 allowed hundreds of circulation coins to be produced in a minute, with modern mechanical mints adopting even faster speeds. Therefore, the United States Mint, the manufacturer and distributor of American co ins, has its modern process borrowed from this history. The mint punches blanks from coiled metal strips, referred to as blanking. This would then be softened through heating in an annealing furnace, and then taken through a washer and dryer. The blanks then pass through an upsetting mill onto a coining press that stamps the inscriptions and designs to guarantee genuineness. The resultant coins would then be inspected for quality, counted and bagged. Governments have throughout the history supplied more coins than would be possible if the coins were made of pure precious metals. Normally, some portion of the precious metal used to make the coin would be replaced by a base metal. Howgego states that copper and nickel are some of the commonly used base metals (43). This in turn reduces the intrinsic value of the coin, referred to as â€Å"debasing.† This way, authorities produce a lot more coins that it would have been otherwise possible. C. E. Challis observes that the coins i n circulation could have fiat values lower than the

Narration Paper Prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Narration Paper Prompt - Essay Example Being a student I steadily realized that the society itself differentiate between male and female. I am a female and soon I got friends with both males and females in my class. Two boys and one girl of them became my best friends. We used to do each and everything together, play games, lunch parties, every single thing which calls for some get to gather fun. My class occupied a male class teacher, who used to be responsible for our every act in school, outside the class boundaries. His name was James Scott, and we used to call him Professor James. Professor James was a teacher of Math in school. Outside he was a very friendly and generous teacher, but inside opposite to what he seemed. I never jumped into the diplomatic face of his, until an incident happened which showed Professor James hidden face. As you all know the students do some silly things also at their school times, especially along with support of boys. One day the two male best friends of mine, Nick & Harry brought some alcohol and weed to the school and planned to try them along with me and Tina for the first time. Everybody knows that smoking and alcohol is banned for us until we turn out to be 21. Likewise every school abides by this rule strictly, for their students. When Nick told me about this plan, I refused in the first place. But then Harry and Tina forced me that its nothing more than just fun, and trying just for once won’t kill me or them either. The plan was to try weed and alcohol after the Math class, in math class room, because no other classes were used to be conducted in that room for next two hours. The math class was the last class in the ground floor at the corner. Eventually, I agreed with my friends to go for this illegal act in the school itself. According to the plan we waited for the class to get empty after the math’s lecture. As soon as the

Lab report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Lab Report Example In the course of the experiment, the presence of a peptide bond through the application of the method would result to a copper (ii) ion forming violet color in an alkaline solution. The Biuret test in this experiment is used in the determination of the concentration since peptide bonds occur with the same frequency in each amino acid in the peptide. This is possible in this experiment since the absorption at 550 nm is directly proportional to the protein concentration in accordance to Beer-Lambert law, thus enabling the experiment to determine the level of protein concentration in a solution (Janairo et al. 2011). Folin protein assay is a biochemical assay for determination of the total level of protein in a solution. In this experiment, the concentration of protein is manifested in the color change in the sample solution in proportion to the concentration of protein. The method is based on the reaction of Cu+ produced by the oxidation of the peptide bonds (Lowry et al. 1951). For the biuret protein assay, when 3mg protein is used in the experiment, the average absorbance in 550nm is 0.690. For 2.5 mg, the average absorbance is 0,440nm, for 2mg protein, the average absorbance is 0.588nm. When 1.5 mg protein is used, the average absorbance is 0.564 nm, 1mg result to average absorbance of 0.540nm while 0.5ng solution results to an average absorbance of 0.224nm. In tube X the average absorbance is 0.454nm while tube Y which contains approximately half of the volume of X results to an average absorption of 0.232nm. From the experiment, it is evident that the amount of absorption is directly proportionate to the amount of protein concentration in a solution at a standard absorption level of 550nm absorbance. Thus, the biuret protein assay test is a concrete test that can be used in the determination of the peptide bonds and the amount of proteins in a solution (Lipscomb et al. 2006). For

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Financial Management - Essay Example If the current ratio is below 1, the company is said to be unable to meet its liabilities. In the M. D. Ryngaert & Co, the profitability may have contributed to the increase in the current ration and making the turnover ratio to remain constant. The profits got from the daily operations in the company are used to expand the operations thereby leading to the changes in the current ratio. This includes the gross and the net profit after the daily expenses are deducted from the revenues got. The gross profit is used to determine the margins the company is getting. In the same way, it can be a measure of the efficiency of the company in carrying out its operations (Milkovinch, 2010). On the other hand the net profitability depends on the daily expenses in the company. The higher the expenses the lower the net profit and this will affect the company’s running. This may result to the company selling some of its current assets in order to meet the liabilities. Many scholars have advanced in the analyzing on the reasons that would lead to an increase in the current ratio while the turnover ratio remains constant. The major explanation given to this would be the improved liquidity in the company. According to Thomas (2003), liquidity is the capital already available in a firm. In a deeper explanation, a company’s liquidity is the amount of cash or capita which is available for use or spending. In the M.D Ryngaert & Co. the rise in the current ratio while the turnover ratio remains constant can be attributed to several reasons. The company may have seen an improvement in the liquidity due to some reasons. In the M. D. Ryngaert & Co, the external cash flow may have been directed to acquiring new products or the getting more employees. All this may have contributed to the rising of the increased current ratio while the turnover ratio remained constant. In cases where the current ratio of a company falls below 1, the company is unable to meet its

Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 51

Summary - Assignment Example Further, the firm has established a team of caring and genuine people, which contributes in winning trust from its clients. This aids in ensuring that the firm does not face challenges in conducting its business activities. These persons also have the essential skills and knowledge to ensure that they have the ability to deliver the best results as expected. Moreover, the firm embraces the concepts of effective communication. This ensures that there is a two way channel of interaction in terms of winning trust and communicating effectively. The communication strategy, which is adopted by the firm, ensures that customers get satisfied with the information they get. It is this communication strategy that supports effective interaction through the social media where individuals can gain immediate feedback on their queries. Moreover, the communication strategy eliminates issues of delay and client dissatisfaction, which may have negative impacts on the business activities of the

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) Coursework

Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) - Coursework Example This paper illustrates that P.J is a young man living with his father in the countryside. His two brothers are living and working in New York. According to P.J, his living situation has not been very pleasant as stated in the â€Å"Health History and Screening†. He lacks company while at home and his father is alcoholic. His mother died when he was only 13 years of age. Two years later after this death, his younger sister passed away. All the above-stated health problems in the â€Å"situation† section have different genesis in origin and time. The problem of duodenal ulcers began in the year 2007 when the client was still in high school. The stomach problem started as a mild upset that later turned into the ulcer. He was put on medication for close to two weeks. The situation slightly improved but he still occasionally feels the ulcers to date. Food intolerance and allergy began in at the early stages of his childhood. The client cannot even remember when and how this problem started. He cannot comfortably eat red meat and milk since they give him severe stomach ache and nausea. When he was diagnosed with ulcers, he became intolerant to more foods such as beans, tea, oily food, green vegetables, sugary foods, spices and others that he could not recall. However, he has learned to assimilate some of these foods with time but the childhood food intolerance not gone away. Besides, he has not made any attempt to find the cure for the intolerance. He believes the intolerance helps him cut the cost of living by eating only a few simple meals. The problem of depression began when P.J was still in high school. As a child, he never knew what stress was, even though he grew up in a family of a humble background. His mother had just died when he was taken to a boarding school far away from home. It was while in school that he started to experience frequent stress and anxiety that led to a long-term depression. The urinary system problem, though not very seve re, started at the age of about 8 years. He could feel a burning sensation while urinating with a thin stream. However, this condition was not frequently felt.

Tudors Paper Essay Example for Free

Tudors Paper Essay The English history would not be as it was colorful and interesting today had it not been for the two of the most important icons in the History of United Kingdom: King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Their personal life and their political strategies not to mention their contributions to English history is one of the most unparalleled in any time. The royal life had been transmuted to the world of political maneuvers, religious conflict and personal decisions. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, were not just members of the same Tudor royal clan, more importantly both of them had shaped modern England today. Two leading biographers and historians Garrett Mattingly and Lacey Baldwin Smith, recalled the lives of two monarchs and wrote a biography, in a convention peculiar to their tastes. Other English royal biographers might have treated their works different from the styles of the two, but surely, Mattingly and Baldwin elevated the taste of biographical writing in another playing field. Henry VIII was born on June 28, 1491 from the Tudor family. Elizabeth I, his daughter was born September 7, 1533. Coming from the family of nobility of Welsch, the Tudors reunited the whole of England during their reign. However, their family’s contribution was overshadowed by scandal and impunity. Mackie and Clarendo(1990, p. 190), clearly view the Tudors as the royal family, headed by their predecessors were diplomats of their first rate. They have settled diplomatic relationship with their former enemies and made long lasting truce of peace. The evidence of which is the end of â€Å"War of the Roses†.    This view was kinder tone as a description of the House of Tudors. Historically speaking, during their reign, England made several important decisions for herself but actually personal preferences of her king. Yet, undeniably, the reign of the Tudors was full of their inclinations toward their interests that had strong impact to the national life, religion, system of politics and governance of the entire country. Tudors were not entirely viewed by Mackie, Mattingly, Smith and Garvin. All of them, while had distastes with the rule of each Tudor monarch, none of them actually condemned any sovereign. While Smith has strong words used to chronicle the life of Tudors, most especially King Henry, he left in his spaces room to be defended.   In his book, â€Å"Henry VIII† he said: â€Å"For a king, do like a king; and when Henry learned that James V of Scotland besmirched the role of clean-fingered royalty with the filthy profits of sheep-raising, he warned that such actions cannot stand well with the honour of his estate, and that they would surely cause his subjects to mutter and mutiny. Henry instinctively knew that princes could survive the hatred of their subjects but never their scorn (1971, p. 43). Baldwin never saw Tudors, especially Henry the acclaim accorded to him by other historian-biographers. Henry VIII is the son of Henry VII, the latter being the first monarch in the House of Tudors. It was said that, Henry VIII lived a secluded life in the royal courthouses of the Tudors. He lived outside the confidence of his father’s privies and counselors. His growth as a monarch was characterized by his distinct personal convictions at the expense of his institutions. For instance, the divorce to Catherine of Aragon and the subsequent marriage to Ann Boleyn were the real reasons behind his defection to the Roman Pontiff’s authority. He asserted his royal right in his country and severed the Catholic Churches in England, outside the rule of the Papacy. But this is more personal than a stately decision. The refusal of the Pope to recognize his marital actions, lead him to justify himself and legalize his marital union to Ann Boleyn. However, this decision had made a positive impact to the religious life of the English. Since, the Church of England is under no authority except the king   the Church of England was more open and flexible with in terms of changes and reformation the country has faced. Gavin (1935) had a subtle view, for her the plans of Henry VIII are more nationalistic impression than self-serving act. Gavin relates (p.25) that England is not yet prepared for a woman ruler. Henry VIII has to secure the throne for a male monarch who shall embody the entire nation. For Gavin, unlike Baldwin’s view, her stand on certain royal issues during the late medieval period was more defensive. Unlike Baldwin who used strong indicators of Henry VIII’s mistakes, but were only forborne by the results of his actions, Gavin and Smith had more defensive stance on King Henry’s action. To prove this point, Gavin made this chronicle: Catherine of Aragon, whom he had not chosen himself, failed him: one miscarriage or still-born child succeeded another, and in 1514, after five years of parental misfortune Henryor Wolseypetitioned Leo X to annul the marriage with his brothers wife which another pope had sanctioned, doubting the validity of his own dispensation. Then in 1516 came Mary, who was welcomed, not for her own sake, but as an earnest of the son to follow. No woman had yet reigned in England, and Henry VII had secured the throne, not only by ending a civil war, but by excluding from the throne his mother, from whom he derived whatever hereditary right he possessed. The expected heir never followed Mary, and by 1527 it was certain that Henry VIII would have no legitimate son so long as Catherine remained his wife. He ceased to cohabit, though not to live, with her from that date, and fell a victim to the one grand passion of his life. (p. 25 [italics and undersco re ours]). Note that, Gavin in this excerpt utilized the apologetic language she can use to defend the Tudor Monarch from criticisms. She openly defended the choice of Henry to secure a male heir, because no queen has lead England as sole sovereign. All of the previous queens were just consorts. The subtlety of Gavin as compared to being straightforward of Smith and Smith is evident in her last phrase, ‘victim to the one grand passion of his life’. This statement is but a magnification of her romantic conveyance of an act to justify the king’s directions to justify her marriage and to give religious validity to his separation to the Pope. On another light, Mattingly (1963) had picturesquely described the Tudors, so stately and assertively. Unlike Smith who openly gave emphatic characterization to the Tudors and King Henry, Mattingly gave the scenario with the comments unconsciously buried in the deep of his biography. For her implied diction, she described Elizabeth I, the Tudor, a wise-lady. In the work of Mattingly, Elizabeth I is a strategist than a military chief, a restorer of culture than procter of the land, a compromiser to advance her interest for England mutually than to lead a nation in war. Mattingly had this for a statement:   Elizabeth preferred to have the Spanish bear the burden. To the end, until Spanish guns were heard in the Channel, the English negotiators at Bourbourg were arguing desperately for the solution which seemed to the Queen no more than elementary common sense. Let the King offer his subjects a general amnesty, restore the ancient liberties of the Seventeen Provinces as they had been at the beginning of his fathers reign, and withdraw his troops except for garrisons in the frontier cities. In exchange, the rebellious provinces would return to their allegiance to their legitimate sovereign and declare the Roman Catholic faith the only established religion. Nothing need be said about the toleration of heretic sects (p. 7).   In her words, Elizabeth I,   was still female, she cannot lead a nation to war. But that took her to an advantage. She (Elizabeth) strategize her connections and empowered her military fortresses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The defeat of the Spanish Armada, shocked the entire European kingdoms, the female virgin queen, who had no king consort had defeated the vast naval strength of the Spanish crown, Mattingly described it as Elizabeth’s opportunity to lead the entire England under her own spell, than to be subdued by a foreign king. The efforts and the achievement of Elizabeth I was seen by Mattingly, impliedly as usual courses in the history of her reign. Mattingly gave the comment that, though much celebrated, the defeat of the Spanish Armada should not be seen so heavily as Elizabeth’s legacy. For Mattingly, the defeat of the Spanish people had little or no greater impact to England’s solidarity as a people. Noticeably, unlike Smith or Gavin, Mattingly sees the perspective of common notions of other historians in a different, yet solid view. Note that in the last sentence of this statement, she was convincingly of the belief that Elizabeth’s actions, specifically the defeat of the Spanish Armada, in many ways futile. Mattingly said: It is probable, too, that the victory gave a lift to English morale. It may be that a good many Englishmen, like a good many other Europeans, though not like Elizabeths sea dogs, had doubted that the Spanish could ever be beaten. Now they knew that they could. The thoughtful and the well-informed understood, however, that England had not won a war, only the first battle in a war in which there might be many more battles. England was braced for the struggle. But to say that the defeat of the Spanish Armada led to a sudden outburst of buoyant, self confident patriotism is to read the interpretation of later centuries back into the past. One would search the records of the next two or three years in vain for any specific evidence in support of such a view (p.23)  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thus, it becomes clear that the leaning of Smith was somewhat skeptical if not negative in his narration to the achievement of the Tudors. More so, Smith’s view on King Henry’s creation of the Church of England was seen more personal than nationalistic. Gavin has taken a lighter view, for her, the Tudors and the reign of Henry VIII, needs no less than understanding. These choices made by the King while personal were to secure the succession of the throne and the safety of the English throne. She (Gavin) has taken a more benign stance. On the other hand, Mattingly gave Elizabeth the treatment she portrays. As a woman, she may not have the power to lead the army with dauntless acts but surely she will stage a strategic plan to advance her kingdom’s interests. Mattingly, may not openly be a feminist advocate but her treatment was also fair, yet opposed to the main projection of Elizabeth I, as the pomp, untouchable queen. The latter view of Mattingly is so laid-back compared to Carole Levin’s   (1994) biographical notes on Elizabeth I. She (Levin) openly justified and even sees the reign of Elizabeth, as power struggle of sexes. For Levin the succession of Elizabeth I in the throne is but a clear, manifestation (perhaps the earliest) of the women’s role. During Elizabeth I time, women were subservient to their husbands, but Elizabeth not only transcended her personal tragedies but also penetrated through the norms of domestic views on women to a global and effective female leadership. Thus, her view is to support active gender roles, equality and sex issues. Her concern has a direct leaning, feminist point of view. Levin has this for a chronicle:   Ã‚  A central concern is how gender construction, role expectations, and beliefs about sexuality influenced both Elizabeth’s self-presentation and others perception of her. A crucial question this study examines is how such issues affected the methods of power used by a woman ruler as opposed to the traditional king. The way people regarded a queen and her use of power will also be valuable in answering more general questions about attitudes toward women during the English Renaissance (Levine, p.3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  The sensitivity of Levin to social constructs leads her to be the most gender sensitive of all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lastly, the epitaphs of these biographers will surely vary. For instance, Smith will describe Henry VIII, as â€Å"The Ruler, whose hands are not tied with anyone†. For his views truly reflect the strong will of King Henry to assert his own beliefs. Mattingly may use the lines â€Å"Here lieth a queen, who reign without fear† as Elizabeth I, epitapth. This is only apt for a queen who defied norms and social expectations. Perhaps it will be the same as Levin’s, â€Å"A Queen who outlived, outwit any Kings on earth†, she would strongly assert it for the same reasons. And lastly, Gavin, who is the most laid back of all of the biographers would name, King Henry’s tomb, engraved in gold, which reads: â€Å"A King who died, and believed his own mind and lived by it†¦Ã¢â‚¬    Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The history, intricacies, scandals of the English monarchy might be totally different from their counterparts in Asia or Middle East. Yet their weaknesses and their personal legends bespeaks of one thing: No person in this earth has walked so glorious to ascribe them the power that belongs to God’s.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   SOURCES Smith, Baldwin L. (1971).   This Realm of England. New York: Houghton-Mifflin Co, Vol. II Levin, Carole. (1994). The Heart and Stomach of a King: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Sex and Power. Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press Mattingly, Garret, (1963). The Armada . USA: Cornell University Press Garvin, Katherine. (1935). The Great Tudors. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press