dollar mark

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.


The origin of this sign to represent the dollar has been the cause of much discussion of late in the newspapers. One writer says it comes from the letters U. S. (United States) which, after the adoption of the Federal Constitution, were prefixed to the Federal currency, and which afterwards, in the hurry of writing, were run into one another; the U being made first and the S over it. Another, that it is derived from the contraction of the Spanish word pesos, dollars, or pesos fuertes, hard dollars. A third, that it is a contraction of the Spanish fuertes, hard, to distinguish silver or hard dollars from paper money. The more probable explanation is, that it is a modification of the figure 8, and denotes a piece of eight reals, or, as a dollar was formerly called, a piece of eight. It was then designated by the figures 8/8.

As to my boat, it was a very good one; and that he saw, and told me he would buy it of me for the ship's use; and asked me what I would have for it? I told him that I could not offer to make any price of the boat, but left it entirely to him; upon which be told me he would give me a note of hand to pay me eighty pieces of eight for it in Brazil. He offered me also sixty pieces of eight more for my boy Xury, which I was loath to take; not that I was not willing to let the Captain have him, but I was loath to sell the poor boy's liberty, who had assisted me so faithfully in procuring my own.--Robinson Crusoe, sec. 4.

Dictionary of American Words And Phrases by John Russell Bartlett.

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