# Two Bits = 1 coin or 2?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-bits-1-coin-or-2/489988>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 19, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-bits-1-coin-or-2/489988 "2009-03-19T03:45:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 18

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-bits-1-coin-or-2/489988/18 "2009-03-19T23:00:45Z")

</div>

> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I never thought about it before but I’ve never actually seen a cut-up coin. If it was a routine practice, a lot of those little wedges would presumedly still be around.

Exactly. I’ve been a coin dealer since about 1971. I’ve got a special interest in coins of the world, not just US. I’ve bought literally millions of world coins during that time. I’ve bought the little Spanish American silver coins from the 1730s-1890s which were the half real, one real, two real. (The four real was the equivalent of half a US dollar and the 8 real was the equivalent of the US silver dollar).

I’ve probably bought thousands of these small coins from groups which were preserved by parents, grandparents, great–you get the picture.

I’ve only ever bought 5-10 of the “cut” pieces of Spanish coins, and _in every case_ they were from the Carribean Islands. They actually did this and then counterstamped them for useage in that Island.

I’ve _never_ purchased a “cut” piece of coinage from a Spanish 8 real.

---

_[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-bits-1-coin-or-2/489988)._