Factbites
 Where results make sense
About us   |   Why use us?   |   Reviews   |   PR   |   Contact us  

Topic: Spanish dollar


Related Topics

In the News (Mon 30 Nov 09)

  
  Dollar
The name Spanish dollar[?] was used for a Spanish silver coin, the peso, an 8 real coin, which was widely circulated during the 18th century in the Spanish colonies in the New World.
The use of the Spanish dollar and the Maria Theresa thaler as legal tender for the early United States is the reason for the name of that nation's currency.
Spanish dollars, or pieces of eight as they were called, were in circulation in the 13 colonies that became the United States and legal tender in Virginia.
www.ebroadcast.com.au /lookup/encyclopedia/do/Dollar.html   (252 words)

  
 Dollar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The name "Spanish dollar" was used for a Spanish coin, the peso, worth eight reals (hence the nickname "pieces of eight"), which was widely circulated during the 18th century in the Spanish colonies in the New World.
Spanish dollars were in circulation in the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States, and were legal tender in Virginia.
Coins known as dollars were also in use in Scotland during the 17th century, and there is a claim that the use of the English word, and perhaps even the use of the coin, began at the University of St Andrews.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Dollar   (737 words)

  
 Sumner, The Spanish Dollar and the Colonial Shilling
Sumner, The Spanish Dollar and the Colonial Shilling
It did not introduce the dollar and did not define it, yet, when all other standards and definitions had been lost, it furnished a standard of reference (not simple and definite) which was taken as a new point of departure, or as a common term in the midst of confusion, discrepancy and doubt.
If then the dollars in which the colonial shillings were reckoned were the same as the latter (418 grains), a pound sterling was four-thirds of a pound colonial, or exchange was at 133 when it was at par.
dinsdoc.com /sumner-1.htm   (4800 words)

  
 Australian Coin Internet Magazine - May 2004
The Spanish peso, a large Spanish silver coin, was termed the Spanish Dollar and was widely circulated in Spanish colonies of the New World.
The use of the Spanish dollar as legal tender for the early United States is the reason for the name of that nation's currency.
The USA (as it was to become) adopted the dollar as its' currency purely for the reason that the Spanish Dollar was in circulation in the 13 colonies that became the United States.
www.coinmagazine.net /Mag_May_2004.htm   (1178 words)

  
 Origin and history of the Word Dollar and Dollar Sign
Small bands of Spanish adventurers had overthrown the empires of the Aztecs and Incas, plundering their temples and razing them to the ground or converting them to cathedrals - Machu Picchu was the outstanding exception, not being "discovered" until the 20th century.
There have been claims that the dollar symbol, $, is derived from the words for "slave" and "nail" in Spanish (or in Latin, according to one version of this theory that posits an earlier date for the invention of the symbol).
The Spanish for slave is esclavo and for "nail" is clavo.
www.ex.ac.uk /~RDavies/arian/dollar.html   (3786 words)

  
 A History of the Canadian Dollar
Similarly, British colonies in North America valued the silver Spanish dollar at rates of up to 8 shillings, despite the passage of legislation by the British government (Act for Ascertaining the Rates of Foreign Coins in Her Majesty's Plantations in America) in 1707 that valued the coin at 4 shillings and 6 pence.
This valuation of the Spanish dollar, the most common coin in circulation at that time, was to be used in settling debts.
Moreover, the Canadian dollar's value was fixed in terms of the British sovereign at a rate of $4.8666 and the U.S. gold eagle at a rate of $10--the same rates established in the 1853 Currency Act.
www.justiceplus.org /thedollar.htm   (13975 words)

  
 Dollar sign
Dollar or thaler is is short for "Joachimsthaler" which was a term used for Joachimsthal, a mining town where the coins were first made in the sixteenth century in Bohemia.
In 1661 the Spanish issued a Coin with an illustration of the Pillars and a scroll running across them, and many people suggested that a stylized version of this, with the scroll taking on the S shape, became the dollar symbol.
Pesos and Pieces of Eight The Spanish Dollar that was so common in the Americas had a value of 8 "reals" another unit of Spanish Currency, and so they were called "pieces of eight" just as in the pirate stories.
www.pballew.net /dollar.html   (1179 words)

  
 What is a Dollar?
Second, having settled on the "dollar" as the "unit,” for Jefferson the problem of fixing the standard "unit" reduced to determining "what a dollar is" in terms of "the quantity of pure metal" [i.e., silver] contained in "an average" coin that actually circulated in the marketplace.
DOLLARS or UNITS - each to be of the value of a Spanish milled dollar as the same is now current, and to contain three hundred and seventy one grains and four sixteenth parts of a grain of pure, or four hundred and sixteen grains of standard silver.
QUARTER DOLLAR - each to be of one fourth the value of the dollar or unit, and to contain ninety-two grains and thirteen sixteenth parts of a grain of pure, or one hundred and four grains of standard silver.
www.constitution.org /mon/what_is_a_dollar.htm   (6373 words)

  
 United States dollar information - Search.com   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
The dollar has lowered in value over time due to inflation and the constant growth in the number of bills that are made.
The Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was introduced in 1979; these proved to be unpopular because they were often mistaken for quarters, thanks to their nearly-equal size, their milled edge, and their similar color.
The dollar is also used as the standard unit of currency in international markets for commodities such as gold and oil.
c10-ss-1-lb.cnet.com /reference/United_States_dollar   (2441 words)

  
 AUE: FAQ excerpt: Origin of the dollar sign
It is sometimes said that the dollar sign's origin is a narrow "U" superimposed over a wide "S", "U.S." being short for "United States." This is wrong, and the correct explanation also tells why the $ sign is used both for dollars and for pesos in various countries.
Spanish pesos were also called piastres, Spanish dollars, and pieces of eight.
Since three of the four names given above for the Spanish dollar start with p (and pluralize with s), it was natural for abbreviations like p and ps to be used.
www.alt-usage-english.org /excerpts/fxorigin.html   (457 words)

  
 Pirate Event .com :: Article - Pieces of Eight (Spanish Dollar or Peso)   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
The Spanish dollar or peso (literally, "weight") is a silver coin that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497.
In oriental trade, Spanish dollars were often stamped with Chinese characters known as "chop marks" which indicate that that particular coin had been assayed by a well-known merchant and determined genuine.
One meaning of it was still "dollar", as witness the fact that a "yuan" at that time contained exactly the same amount of silver as a Spanish dollar.
www.pirateevent.com /piracy/pieces-of-eight.html   (736 words)

  
 The Spanish Pillar Dollar - Jefferson Coin and Bullion, Inc. - The Leader in Wealth Enhancement Through Precious Metals ...   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
Spanish silver coinage was considered the world standard for its great consistency and stability, and it circulated widely in the American colonies.
It became better known in the colonies as the Spanish dollar, because of its similarity to the well-known European thaler, which was similar in size and weight.
Spanish dollars were made legal tender in the United States in 1793, and remained so as late as 1857!
www.jeffersoncoinandbullion.com /spanish.shtml   (433 words)

  
 Perspectives in Numismatics - The Earliest Money Using the Dollar as a Unit of Value
The word dollar in 1767 was new only as an official monetary unit, but, as is well-known, was a translation into the English language of the Germanic word Thaler which was originally applied to a large 15th century silver coin of provincial Austria.
The word Dollar in the English language was the commercial reference to silver coins of the same general size as the Thaler, but became applicable primarily to Spanish-American silver coinage of the denomination of 8 reales because of the extensive use and circulation of that coinage throughout the world.
The Lyon Dollar or Lion Dollar was the English language expression referring to the large silver trade coin minted in 17th century Holland, bearing the emblem of a large rampant lion, but the Maryland Act of 1708 used the derisive term Dog Dollar in evaluating that coin.
www.chicagocoinclub.org /projects/PiN/ted.html   (2440 words)

  
 Viewpoints
As mentioned earlier, the Spanish milled dollar had become, by Queen Anne's Proclamation of 1704 at least, the "common measure", or standard by which all other coins (both gold and silver) were to be measured in the colonies.
The "Standard" was established by making the "Dollar" as the "money of Account of the United States" which all public offices and courts were bound to accept and defining the "Dollar" as 371.25 grains of pure silver which was the average weight then of the Spanish Piece of Eight.
The Eagle was to be "of the value of ten dollars or units" so its weight was defined as 270.5 grains of pure gold (each "dollars" worth of value being 24.75 grains of gold or 1/15 of 371.25 thus keeping in line with the ratio of 15:1).
www.usiap.org /Viewpoints/Nation/Economy/EaglesAndDollars.html   (2424 words)

  
 The Straight Dope: What does the S in the dollar sign represent?
The dollar, you'll recall, is descended from the Spanish dollar, also known as the "piece of eight" because it consisted of eight reals.
Professor Cajori contends that the dollar sign is an abbreviation for "pesos." Bear in mind that the Spanish dollar, also known as the peso de 8 reales, was the principal coin in circulation in the U.S. up until 1794, when we began minting our own dollars.
The dollar sign and the PS abbreviation were used interchangeably from around 1775 until the end of the century, after which the latter faded from view.
www.straightdope.com /classics/a3_178.html   (577 words)

  
 The Dollar Story: Its European Origins
States, that when it designed its own silver dollar, it was of the same size coin and had the same silver content (2).
Likewise, since the Spanish dollar ceased to be Spain's currency many years ago (3), few Spaniards today will associate the "$" symbol with their national coat of arms, though many might be familiar with the <> motto.
Spanish dollars, as well as French and Dutch coins, all circulated in the colonies.
www2.uah.es /asi/amcana/DOLLAR.HTM   (1943 words)

  
 SPANISH EMPIRE COINS IN GUAM- PART TWO
Spanish galleons on the Acapulco-Manila trade route carried silver coinage not only to deliver the "situado" to the colonies in Guam and the Philippines but also to have silver available for trade with the Chinese merchants in the orient.
Although the coins were produced between 1500 and 1900, their transport by Spanish galleons between Mexico and the Philippines was limited to the period between 1565 and 1815.
The best known Spanish dollar during the 18th century was the "pillar dollar", a Spanish milled dollar which was minted in Spanish-America (between 1732 and 1760) to replace the cob.
www.coinmall.com /CSNA/guam1.htm   (1404 words)

  
 History Lives
The Spanish milled dollar was a silver coin with its edged “milled”, or patterned, to prevent traders from shaving silver from the edge unnoticed.
The Spanish Milled Dollar was known as a Piece of 8 because it was worth 8 reales, a common Spanish coin denomination.
The expression “2 bits”; to mean a quarter of a dollar comes from breaking the milled dollar into 8 &#8220;bits”;.
www.historylives.com /everydaylife.htm   (891 words)

  
 Spanish Coins on American Notes   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
The Spanish dollar, perhaps better known as the eight reales or piece of eight, circulated widely in the United States long before there were US dollars.
Spanish coins served as legal tender in the United States, and were only demonetized in 1857.
Spanish coin vignettes were used on our colonial currency as well as obsolete notes.
scoan.oldnote.org   (159 words)

  
 WHAT IS A DOLLAR
However, the Spanish silver dollar, which came in by trade across the frontier from Louisiana, which Spain later ceded to France, was the principal coin of commerce.
The Journal of the Continental Congress on June 2, 1775, records a "resolve" that a sum not exceeding two missions of Spanish milled dollars be emitted by the Congress in bills of credit for the defense of America.
Included in the report are references to such denominations as English and French guineas, Johannes and half Johannes, Spanish and French pistole, doubloons, English and French crowns, English shillings, and the then popular Spanish milled dollars, all of which served as a medium of exchange in the colonies.
www.healthfreedom.info /what_is_a_dollar.htm   (1202 words)

  
 Dollar signs - 05/03/04
The use in America of the expression two bits for 25 cents is a legacy of this since if a Spanish dollar or peso or piece of eight was split into quarters each part would consist of two of the original eight pieces or reales.
Snoopy and Woodstock are depicted on the reverse.
As to the slavery theory Davies writes: "There have been claims that the dollar symbol is derived from the words for slave and nail in Spanish (or in Latin, according to one version of this theory that posits an earlier date for the invention of the symbol).
www.coinworld.com /news/050304/BW_0503.asp   (1694 words)

  
 Silver Dollar - Jefferson Coin and Bullion, Inc. - The Leader in Wealth Enhancement Through Precious Metals and Rare ...   (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-03)
It may surprise you to learn that our silver dollar is a direct descendant of a European silver coin from the 16th century called the thaler (pronounced "taller").
Its version of a thaler-like silver coin circulated widely in the American colonies, and became known as the Spanish pillar dollar.
When it came time to designate a national currency for the United States, the familiar Spanish dollar and its fractional parts were used as the basis for our currency, and the new American silver dollar began to be minted in 1794.
www.jeffersoncoinandbullion.com /silverdollar.shtml   (262 words)

  
 Spanish-American Colonial Coinage
The Spanish silver coins most familiar to generations of Americans were the “Pillar” types, introduced in 1732 to replace the crude cobs and minted for the next forty years.
Contributing to this problem was that the Spanish coins, which were frequently clipped and worn, were readily spent, while the federal coins, with their higher intrinsic value, were either hoarded or shipped overseas for recoining in Europe.
It was not until the 1850s that the USA had enough domestic coinage in circulation to permit withdrawl of the Spanish issues, the only foreign pieces that still maintained a large presence.
www.coinsite.com /content/Articles/Spanish.asp   (1560 words)

  
 Spanish dollar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Spanish dollar minted in Mexico in 1733.
Many existing currencies, such as the Canadian dollar, United States dollar and the Chinese yuan, are based on the Spanish dollar.
Thanks to the vast silver deposits that were found in Mexico (for example, at Taxco and Zacatecas) and Potosí in modern-day Bolivia, and to silver from Spain's possessions throughout the Americas, mints in Mexico and Peru also began to strike the coin.
en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Spanish_dollar   (639 words)

Try your search on: Qwika (all wikis)

Factbites
  About us   |   Why use us?   |   Reviews   |   Press   |   Contact us  
Copyright © 2005-2007 www.factbites.com Usage implies agreement with terms.