ARGENTARIA Creta, pure white earth, found in Prussia, and much esteemed for cleaning plate.
ARGENTARIUS is frequently used in Roman writers for a money changer or banker. The argentarii were monied people, who made a profit either by the changing, or lending of money at interest. These had their tabernae, or offices, in the forum Romanum, built there as early as the reign of L. Tarquinius Priscus. The argentarii and federatores were much hated on account of their covetousness and extortion.