◆¹ The capital value of the wealth of the United Kingdom is estimated at something like _ten thousand million pounds_; but the entire amount of sovereigns and shillings in the country does not exceed _a hundred and forty-four million pounds_, nor that of the uncoined bullion, _a hundred and twenty-two million pounds_. That is to say, for every nominal _ten thousand_ sovereigns there does not exist in reality more than _two hundred and twenty-six_. Were this sum divided amongst the population equally, it would give every one a share of exactly _seven pounds_. Again, this country produces every year wealth which we express by calling it _thirteen hundred million pounds_. ◆² The amount of gold and silver produced annually by the whole world is hardly so much as _thirty-eight million pounds_. If the whole of this were appropriated by the United Kingdom, it would give annually to each inhabitant only ten new shillings and a single new half-sovereign. The United Kingdom, however, gets annually but a tenth of the world’s money, so its annual share in reality is not so much as _four million pounds_. Accordingly, that vast volume of wealth which we express by calling it _thirteen hundred million pounds_, has but _four million pounds_ of fresh money year by year to correspond to it. That is to say, there is only one new sovereign for every new nominal sum of _three hundred and twenty-five_. [Sidenote ◆1 The nature of wealth, as a whole, is quite misconceived by most people;] [Sidenote ◆2 As we see by the metaphors they use to describe it.]