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How did the Spanish Dollar get the nickname "piece of eight"?

Question #149940. Asked by BigTriviaDawg.
Last updated Oct 11 2023.
Originally posted Oct 11 2023 8:19 PM.

psnz

Answer has 1 vote

psnz

5 year member
1008 replies avatar

Answer has 1 vote.

When people needed smaller denominations in those times, it was acceptable to cut coins up into pieces. Certainly an unusual way of "making change!"

The Spanish dollar coin was worth eight reales and could be physically cut into eight pieces, or "bits," to make change -- hence the colloquial name "pieces of eight." The dollar coin could also be cut into quarters, and "two bits" became American slang for a quarter dollar, or 25 cents.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/WBNKU2ssSQuBVLGmNX5UAg

Response last updated by psnz on Oct 11 2023.
Oct 11 2023, 8:21 PM

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How did the Spanish Dollar get the nickname "piece of eight"?

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