# coin nicknames **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 30, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295 "2000-11-30T02:03:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/1 "2000-11-30T02:03:44Z")
In America, we obviously have shorthand “nicknames” for the various coins. A 1 cent piece is a penny, a 5 cent piece a nickel, a 10 cent piece a dime, and a 25 cent piece a quarter. How do people in other countries (besides other countries who use a dollar) nickname their coins? Germany? What do you use for shorthand for a 1 pfennig (sp?) piece, etc.? England, a 10p piece, etc.? Just wondering… ---
**Author:** ![SpinneZiege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@SpinneZiege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpinneZiege)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/2 "2000-11-30T02:24:06Z")
Sometimes I call the fiver a “nickel note.” And of course there’s the “Benjamin” ($100). ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/3 "2000-11-30T02:30:21Z")
Bills are another story. Fives are “fins” and tens are “sawbucks” (don’t know why). But it’s just as easy to call them “fives,” “tens,” and “twenties.” I am curious about coins. Surely non-Americans don’t say “I have a ten-unit piece and a 5-unit piece in my pocket.” There must be nicknames for these, no? ---
**Author:** ![stkelly52](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@stkelly52](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stkelly52)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/4 "2000-11-30T02:41:54Z")
I have spent a conciderable amount of time in Malaysia, Korea, Singapore and Thailand. In all of these contries coins and bills are called by their value, ie. 100 won, 20 sen, 1 ringit, etc. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/5 "2000-11-30T02:43:36Z")
Canadian dollar coins are ‘loonies’, from the bird on the back. When two-dollar coins came out, some suggested calling them ‘bruins’ (a bear on the back), but ‘toonie’ ended up as the common name. Put them together and you get the common opinion of the government introducing those coins. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/6 "2000-11-30T03:17:44Z")
“Two bits” refers to one _quarter_ of a Spanish dubloon. Ergo, “Pieces o’ Eight” divided in four, or one _quarter_ of a dubloon, equals two bits (the Spanish coin was frequently cut into eight pieces). Oh yeah, you all heard the one about the gal who went upstairs with a Swede and came down with a Fin…? ::bah dum bum:: ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/7 "2000-11-30T03:21:39Z")
PS: A “sawbuck” (ten dollar bill) refers to the older numerical font on paper money that showed a Roman numeral “X”, which looked like the old-style carpenter’s sawhorse or “sawbuck.” ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/8 "2000-11-30T03:38:40Z")
Before they decimalized, the UK had an enormous number of nicknames for coins of various denominations. Some, like “quid” for a pound, have survived into the new system. Let’s see, there was bobs and tanners and crowns and florins and … “Me and Billy was standing there with twelve-and-half p.” - doesn’t cut it somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/9 "2000-11-30T04:04:22Z")
Let’s not forget the **sackie**! When I went to England, I didn’t know what a “quid” was. I asked the ticket clerk at Victoria Station and he said, “It’s a pound. Like you Americans say “greenback”.” I didn’t tell him that AFAIKw, “greenback” wasn’t used much anymore. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/10 "2000-11-30T04:23:45Z")
As long as we’re on the subject of paper money, we can’t forget the C-note and the buck. According to [Money talks](http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/97jun/9706imp.htm), the fin gets its name from Yiddish _finf_, “five”. If it’s not obvious, Canadians have the same names for their smaller coins that Americans have: penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/11 "2000-11-30T04:53:16Z")
I know a lot of people who say ‘bill’ for $100 or a ‘dollar’ if it’s obvious they are talking about large amounts, i.e. drugs (‘Can I get an o.z.?’ ‘six dollars’), though the latter is more of a code than slang, while the first I have used more commonly. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/12 "2000-11-30T04:55:41Z")
“have used more commonly.” should be “have heard used more commonly.” ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/13 "2000-11-30T04:57:05Z")
**Zenster** said > [@](#): > > Two bits" refers to one quarter of a Spanish dubloon. Ergo, “Pieces o’ Eight” divided in four, or one quarter of a dubloon, equals two bits (the Spanish coin was frequently cut into eight pieces I don’t believe the last part of that statement. I have made my living from buying and selling coins for thirty years. In all that time, I have handled thousands and thousands of Spanish pieces of all denominations covering the period 1600-1821. And I have seen perhaps 3-4 actually _cut_. It is a popular misconception, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/14 "2000-11-30T05:47:44Z")
I thought ‘greenback’ was a general term for _any_ US note? Because ALL of the denominations are mostly black on the front and mostly green on the back? ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/15 "2000-11-30T06:21:40Z")
I’m sure all the doubloon fragments would have been gathered up and melted down, over time - they wouldn’t circulate as much as they would be less accurate. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/16 "2000-12-01T07:49:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bibliophage \* > If it’s not obvious, Canadians have the same names for their smaller coins that Americans have: penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. [nitpick] In the US, dime is the official name of the coin (look at its reverse, it says “ONE DIME”), while calling a Canadian ten cent piece a dime is using a nickname. The same with the quarter, I believe. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/17 "2000-12-01T08:33:19Z")
From reading a FAQ at the US Mint’s website, I’m going to guess that the name “nickel” was put into use after 1866 when the content of the 5-cent piece was changed from silver and copper to copper and nickel. The definition of “nickel” at [CoinWorld](http://www.coinworld.com/reading/reference/glossary.html) supports the mid-19th century origin of the term. The glossary at [Coincollector.org](http://coincollector.org/coincollectingfaq3.html) indicates that the 5-cent coin was called a “half-dime” from 1794 to 1873. How’s THAT for a crappy slang term. ---
**Author:** ![Spiny\_Norman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Spiny\_Norman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiny_Norman)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/18 "2000-12-01T09:16:28Z")
This probably doesn’t translate well, as most of the puns are phonetic, but anyway, Danish money nicknames: 1000 kroner note: A “tudse” (toad), from Danish “tusind”, meaning one thousand. 500 kroner note: A “ploughman”, because an old (very, very old) version of the note had a picture of one. Although the note has disappeared, the name lingers. 100 kroner note: A “hund” (dog), from Danish “hundrede”, meaning, you guessed it, one hundred. 50 kroner note: A “hvalp” (puppy) - half a dog, see ? (Not that commonly used) And back when there were 5 öre coins, they were sometimes called an “Anker” after Prime Minister Anker Jörgensen, with the rationale that they were “small, red and practically worthless”. S. Norman ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2000, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/19 "2000-12-01T11:37:40Z")
Thanks, Spiny Norman! That’s the kind of info I was looking for. It just seems unlikely (although it is possible) that people would walk around saying, “I have a 25 \_\_\_\_ piece,” etc., all the time. ---
**Author:** ![jefflibbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/13edae/32.png) [@jefflibbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jefflibbey)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/20 "2001-09-27T23:23:04Z")
I’ve been looking for the origin of the word ‘quid’. I know it’s slang for the British pound, but WHY is it slang for pound? Can anyone help me with the history of this usage? If not, I’ll have to send Cecil a message. This one is bugging me. Thanks! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295.md?page=2)