# Value of a Piece of Eight

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-piece-of-eight/985978>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 23, 2023, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-piece-of-eight/985978 "2023-06-23T07:24:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 10

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2023, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-piece-of-eight/985978/10 "2023-06-24T00:17:10Z")

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> [@Common\_Tater](#):
>
> Pieces of Eight” … merchants resorted to cutting them into pieces to make change. This is the etymology of archaic monetary slang like “Two bits”

According to the much missed SamClem, who was both a professional numismatist and talented amateur etymologist, [this](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-bits-1-coin-or-2/489988/18) [is](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-west-saloons-how-did-you-pay/432318/19) [an](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nicknames-for-monetary-denominations-and-their-origins/153499/21) [urban](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coin-nicknames/43295/13) [legend](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-british-money-to-a-yank/20019/26).

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