Have you ever wondered where the word "dollar" came from? Well, it is hundreds of years old, and the value of the "original" dollar was far different from today's coinage. The first dollars were used in Bohemia (the modern-day Czech Republic) and did not represent 100 pennies. Instead, they were large, struck coins made of silver. Since the silver for these coins was found in Saint Joachim’s Valley in Bohemia, the coins became known as "joachimsthalers." Over time, this was shortened to "thaler." Thanks to trade with the Dutch and the English, "thaler” eventually became "daalder" and then today’s "dollar."

By Charles Paradis
Visitor Services Coordinator

Beginning in the sixteenth century, the coinage of choice in the Americas was the Spanish-American dollar. These coins were made of precious metal and they were certainly not in short supply, thanks to the abundance of gold and silver in the New World. The coins were often referred to as "pieces of eight" or "8 reales." Nowadays, if you have a bill or coin and require change, you need to exchange your currency for smaller pieces. One of the most interesting features of the Spanish-American dollar was that it could make its own change! These coins were often divided into eights, known as "reales," or the anglicized "bits." Many would recognize the melody of "Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits." That expression led to the term "two bits" being associated with the 25-cent piece, and it's interesting that two bits would physically represent one-quarter of a Spanish-American dollar.

By: Charles Paradis
Visitor Services Coordinator

Did you know that cocoa beans were once used as money? Their value came from the bean’s use in a ritual drink called "chocolatl" (chocolate), which was largely consumed by Aztec warriors and aristocrats. Cocoa beans may have been even more precious than gold. According to legend, an Aztec leader would use a golden cup to drink his chocolate and then throw the cup away! Cocoa beans as money . . . what a delectable idea!

By: Nicole Kasaboski
Visitor Services Coordinator