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The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (Spanish: real de a ocho, dólar, peso duro, peso fuerte or peso), is a silver coin of approximately 38 mm (1.5 in) diameter worth eight Spanish reales.
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Jun 11, 2018 · PIECES OF EIGHT, Spanish silver coins of eight reals (eight bits), first authorized in 1497. Also known as pesos and Spanish dollars, they were minted in enormous quantities and soon became recognized as a reliable medium of exchange in the European colonies of North America.
The Piece of Eight was made famous in pirate folklore when Robert Louis Stevenson published his famous novel, Treasure Island, featuring the villainous pirate Long John Silver and his sidekick parrot, which he named Captain Flint after his former pirate captain.
Pieces of eight may sound like a made up thing, but the coins are made of silver and were an official currency for the country of Spain and all her associated colonies and territories for centuries. From 1497 to 1864 this silver coin was in use as the Spanish dollar (AKA the real de ocho).
May 23, 2024 · Pieces of eight are historical Spanish dollar coins minted in the Americas from the late 15th century through the 19th century. Made of silver, they were in nearly worldwide circulation by the late 19th century and were legal currency in the United States until 1857.
Sep 25, 2010 · Pieces of eight were the world's first global currency. As the coins of Spain they were used across the vast Spanish Empire, stretching from South America to the Philippines, but were also...
May 12, 2024 · As coins, pieces of eight, also known as Spanish 8 Reales or Spanish milled dollars, were both large and heavy. Their design changed quite a bit over time and eventually incorporated the reigning Spanish king, but the ones minted in the Americas contain the Spanish coat of arms and the pillars of Hercules.
Sep 24, 2010 · Pieces of eight were the world's first global currency. As the coins of Spain they were used across the vast Spanish Empire, stretching from South America to the Philippines, but were...
Learn the story behind pieces of eight, the Spanish coins that we most associate with pirates, and how they were used in America up to the 19th century.
This silver Spanish dollar (also known as an eight real coin or piece of eight) was minted around 1821. The obverse, or front, of the coin has a profile portrait of King Ferdinand the VII. The coin reads “Del Gratia 1821 Ferdin VII,” (Ferdinand VII by the Grace of God, 1821).
