[OT] cur$e

[Alma J Wetzker]

Leon Goldstein wrote:
> Alma Wetzker wrote:
> 
>> M.W. Chang wrote:
>>>>
>>>> S is the alphabet
>>>>
>> And it is a wonderful letter!  It kind of twists around like a snake, 
>> slithering through life.  There are, however, places where a '$' is 
>> appropriate.  Referring to money denominated in dollars and certain 
>> monopolists headquartered where dollars are used.
>>
> The dollar sign is not really related to "S."  The symbol most likely 
> was inspired by the Spanish 8-Real coin, which had on its reverse side 
> two Roman columns, each entwined by a vine climbing around it.
> 
> People would cut the 8-Real coin into quarters, hence "2 bits", for 
> smaller purchases.
> 
> So blame the Conquistadores!

I thought the coin was designed to be broken.  It was usually cut along the 
primary and secondary compass directions yielding 8 pieces or bits.  A whole 
coin would be called a piece of eight.  (This is only significant to computer 
users, where eight bits make a unit.)

I thought the [OT] thread was about the substitution of '$' for a capital 'S'. 
  I do love this trivia/history stuff!  I always learn something new.

     -- Alma