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XERAFINE to XERCANSOR
XERAFINE, XERAFIM, &c., s. The word in this form represents a silver coin formerly current at Goa
and several other Eastern ports, in value somewhat less than 1s. 6d. It varied in Portuguese currency
from 300 to 360 reis. But in this case as in so many others the term is a corruption applied to a degenerated
value. The original is the Arabic ashrafi (see ASHRAFEE) (or sharifi, ‘noble’—compare the medieval
coin so called), which was applied properly to the gold dinar, but was also in India, and still is occasionally
by natives, applied to the gold mohur. Ashrafi for a gold dinar (value in gold about 11s. 6d.) occurs
frequently in the ‘1001 Nights,’ as Dozy states, and he gives various other quotations of the word in
different forms (pp. 353–354; [Burton, Ar. Nights, x. 160, 376]). Aigrefin, the name of a coin once known
in France, is according to Littré also a corruption of ashrafi.
1498.—“And (the King of Calicut) said that they should tell the Captain that if he wished to go he must
give him 600 xarifes, and that soon, and that this was the custom of that country, and of those who
came thither.”—Roteiro de V. da G. 79.
1510.—“When a new Sultan succeeds to the throne, one of his
lords, who are called Amirra (Ameer), says to him: ‘Lord, I have been for so long a time your slave, give
me Damascus, and I will give you 100,000 or 200,000 teraphim of gold.’ ”—Varthema, 10.
„ “Every
Mameluke, great or little, has for his pay six saráphi per month.”—Ibid. 13.
„ “Our captain sent for the
superior of the said mosque, to whom he said: that he should show him the body of Nabi—this Nabi
means the Prophet Mahomet —that he would give him 3000 seraphim of gold.”—Ibid. 29. This one
eccentric traveller gives thus three different forms.
1513.—“…
hunc regem Affonsus idem, urbe opuletissima et praecipuo emporio Armusio vi capto, quindecim milliu Seraphinoru, ea est aurea moneta ducatis
equivales annuu nobis tributariu effecerat.”—Epistola Emmanuelis Regis, 2b. In the preceding the word
seems to apply to the gold dinar.
1523.—“And by certain information of pe
rsons who knew the facts …
Antonio de Saldanha … agreed with the said King Turuxa (Turun Shah), … that the said King … should pay to the King Our lord 10,000 xarafins more yearly … in all 25,000 xarafins.”—Tombo da India, Subsidios,
79. This is the gold mohur.
1540.—“This year there was such a famine in Choromandel, that it left nearly the whole land depopulated
with the mortality, and people ate their fellow men. Such a thing never was heard of on that Coast, where
formerly there was such an abundance of rice, that in the port of Negapatam I have often seen more
than 700 sail take cargoes amounting to more than 20,000 moios (the moyo = 29.39 bushels) of rice. …
This year of famine the Portuguese of the town of St. Thomé did much good to the people, helping them
with quantities of rice and millet, and coco-nuts and jagra (see JAGGERY), which they imported in their
vessels from other parts, and sold in retail to the people at far lower prices than they could have got if
they wished it; and some rich people caused quantities of rice to be boiled in their houses, and gave
it boiled down in the water to the people to drink, all for the love of God. … This famine lasted a whole
year, and it spread to other parts, but was not so bad as in Choromandel. The King of Bisnagar, who
was sovereign of that territory, heard of the humanity and beneficence of the Portuguese to the people
of the country, and he was greatly pleased thereat, and sent an ola (see OLLAH) of thanks to the
residents of S. Thomé. And this same year there was such a scarcity of provisions in the harbours of the
Straits, that in Aden a load (fardo) of rice fetched forty xarafis, each worth a cruzado. …”—Correa, iv.
131–132.
1598.—“The chief and most common money (at Goa) is called Pardauue (Pardao) Xeraphin.
It is of silver, but of small value. They strike it at Goa, and it is marked on one side with the image of
St. Sebastian, on the other with 3 or 4 arrows in a sheaf. It is worth 3 testoons or 300 Reys (Reas) of
Portugal, more or less.”—Linschoten (from French ed. 71); [Hak. Soc. i. 241, and compare i. 190; and
see another version of the same passage under PARDAO].
1610.—“Inprimis of Seraffins Ecberi, which
be ten Rupias (Rupee) a piece, there are sixtie Leckes (Lack).”—Hawkins, in Purchas, i. 217. Here the
gold mohur is meant.
c. 1610.—“Les pièces d’or sont cherafins à vingt-cinq sols pièce.”—Pyrard da Laval,
ii. 40; [Hak. Soc. ii. 69, reading cherufins].
1653.—“Monnoyes courantes à Goa. “Sequin de Venise .
24 tangues (Tanga) | Reale d’Espagne | 12 tangues. | | Abassis de Perse | 3 tangues. | | Pardaux (Pardao) | 5
tangues. | | Scherephi | 6 tangues. | | Roupies (Rupee) du Mogol | 6 tangues. | | Tangue | 20 bousserouque (Budgrook).” |
De la Boullaye-le-Gouz, 1657, 530.
c. 1675.—“Coins … of Rajapore. Imaginary Coins. The Pagod (Pagoda) is 3½ Rupees. 48 Juttals (see
JEETUL) is one Pagod. 10 and ½ Larees (Larin) is 1 Pagod. Zeraphins 2½, 1 Old Dollar.
“Coins and
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