Inthesamemanner，asmoneyisthesignandrepresentativeofathing，everythingisasignandrepresentativeofmoney；andthestateisinaprosperousconditionwhenontheonehandmoneyperfectlyrepresentsallthings，andontheotherallthingsperfectlyrepresentmoney，andarereciprocallythesignofeachother；thatis，whentheyhavesucharelativevaluethatwemayhavetheoneassoonaswehavetheother。
Thisneverhappensinanyotherthanamoderategovernment，nordoesitalwayshappenthere；forexample，ifthelawsfavourthedishonestdebtor，hiseffectsarenolongerarepresentativeorsignofmoney。
Withregardtoadespoticgovernment，itwouldbeaprodigydidthingsthererepresenttheirsign。Tyrannyanddistrustmakeeveryoneburytheirspecie；[3]thingsthereforearenottheretherepresentativeofmoney。
Legislatorshavesometimeshadtheartnotonlytomakethingsintheirownnaturetherepresentativeofspecie，buttoconvertthemevenintospecie，likethecurrentcoin。C？sar，whenhewasdictator，permitteddebtorstogivetheirlandsinpaymenttotheircreditors，atthepricetheywereworthbeforethecivilwar。[4]Tiberiusorderedthatthosewhodesiredspecieshouldhaveitfromthepublictreasuryonbindingovertheirlandtodoublethevalue[5]UnderC？sarthelandswerethemoneywhichpaidalldebts；underTiberiustenthousandsestercesinlandbecameascurrentmoneyequaltofivethousandsestercesinsilver。TheMagnaChartaofEnglandprovidesagainsttheseizingofthelandsorrevenuesofadebtor，whenhismovableorpersonalgoodsaresufficienttopay，andheiswillingtogivethemuptohiscreditors；thusallthegoodsofanEnglishmanrepresentmoney。
ThelawsoftheGermansconstitutedmoneyasatisfactionfortheinjuriesthatwerecommitted，andforthesufferingsduetoguilt。Butastherewasbutverylittlespecieinthecountry，theyagainconstitutedthismoneytobepaidingoodsorchattels。ThiswefindappointedinaSaxonlaw，withcertainregulationssuitabletotheeaseandconvenienceoftheseveralranksofpeople。Atfirstthelawdeclaredthevalueofasouincattle；[6]thesouoftwotremisesansweredtoanoxoftwelvemonths，ortoaewewithherlamb；thatofthreetremiseswasworthanoxofsixteenmonths。Withthesepeoplemoneybecamecattle，goods，andmerchandise，andtheseagainbecamemoney。