of keeping it and making payments, and in this case it was called _depositum_; the argentarius then paid no interest, and the money was called _vacua pecunia_. Or the money was deposited on condition of the argentarius paying interest; in this case the money was called _creditum_. A payment made through a banker was called _per mensam_, _de mensa_, or _per mensae scripturam_, while a payment made by the debtor in person was a payment _ex arca_ or _de domo_. An argentarius never paid away any person’s money without being either authorised by him in person or receiving a cheque which was called _perscriptio_. The argentarii kept accurate accounts in books called _codices_, _tabulae_, or _rationes_, and there is every reason for believing that they were acquainted with what is called in book-keeping double entry. When a party found to be in debt paid what he owed, he had his name effaced (_nomen expedire_ or _expungere_) from the banker’s books. 3. Their connection with commerce and public auctions. In private sales and purchases, they sometimes acted as agents for either party (_interpretes_), and sometimes they undertook to sell the whole estate of a person, as an inheritance. At public auctions they were almost invariably present, registering the articles sold, their prices, and purchasers, and receiving the payment from the purchasers. 4. The testing of the genuineness of coins (_probatio nummorum_). This, however, seems originally to have been a part of the duty of public officers, the mensarii or nummularii, until in the course of time the opinion of an argentarius also came to be looked upon as decisive. 5. The _solidorum venditio_, that is, the obligation of purchasing from the mint the newly coined money, and circulating it among the people. This branch of their functions occurs only under the empire. The argentarii formed a collegium, divided into _societates_ or corporations, which alone had the right to admit new members of their guild. None but freemen could become members of such a corporation. It has already been observed that the argentarii had their shops round the forum: hence to become bankrupt was expressed by _foro cedere_, or _abire_, or _foro mergi_.