like a dying fire a piledup ray and a red sulfur his rule has lasted because the malice of treachery cannot refute it nor does the passage of time spoil it. it has been said that gold has become precious because it changes little and its freshness and beauty increase when it is aged and because things decrease when touched and buried except for gold which does not decrease at all. the best of the aged dinars are the red to green ones. some of the ancients claimed that the dinar is tested by its adhesion to the hair and beard and the difficulty of its remaining in them. the dazzling of the dinars is considered by its lightness and heaviness. they claimed that the best gold is the pure gold and the best silver is the pure silver and the taste of pure silver is sweet and the taste of counterfeit silver is bitter and rusty and the most precious of dirhams is that which has a ringing bell and the silver has a pure ringing sound and is not tainted by deafness and it quenches thirst when held in the mouth.
كنار خامدة وشعاع مركوم وكبريت قانئ وإنما دامت دولته لأنه لا تدحضه خبث الكيد ولا يفسده مر الدهور، وقيل إنما صار الذهب ثمينا لقلة تغيره وازدياد نضارته وحسنه إذا عتق ولأن الأشياء تنقص عند المس والدفن ما خلا الذهب فإنه لا ينقص البتة. وخير الدنانير العتق الحمر إلى الخضرة، وزعم بعض الأوائل إنما يمتحن الدينار بلصوقه الشعر واللحية وصعوبة استمراره فيهما، والنبهرج من الدنانير يعتبر بخفته وثقله. وزعموا أن خير الذهب العقيان وخير الفضة اللجين، ومذاق الفضة الصافية عذب، ومذاق الزيوف مر صدئ، والنبهرج من الدراهم ما لح جرسى الطنين، والفضة صافية الطنين لا يشوبها صمم وهي تقطع العطش إذا مسكت في الفم.