122  SELLING  LATIN  AMERICA

of  the  third  and  17,800  of  the  fourth  class.
The  Chivor  group,  it  is  estimated,  is  capable
of  producing  $500,000  worth  of  these  stones
per  year.
Gold  to  the  value  of  $6,634,914  was  exported ­
  in  1913.  Its  production  increases  annually. ­
  About  $1,000,000  worth  of  silver  and
$600,000  worth  of  platinum  were  shipped
abroad  in  1913.
Colombia  is  presumably  on  a  gold  standard, ­
  having  as  its  unit  of  value  a  peso  or  dollar ­
  equal  in  value  to  the  American  one.  As  a
matter  of  fact,  however,  the  currency  in  circulation ­
  is  an  inconvertible  paper  dollar,  which
fluctuates  in  value  according  to  the  stability
of  the  government.  I  have  seen  it  take  three
hundred  of  these  dollars  to  equal  one  of
ours.  Now  a  paper  dollar  is  worth  about  one
cent  gold.  Business  transactions  are  usually
done  in  United  States  dollars  or  English
pounds.
Much  of  the  business  of  Colombia  is  in  the
hands  of  the  Germans  who  maintain  houses  at
the  port  towns  and  branches  at  other  trade  cen ­