# coin nicknames

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295>\
**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:** 1\
**Showing post:** 13

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**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")

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**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.

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