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You are here: Home / Odds / Why Is the Word Dollar Used for Our Money?

Why Is the Word Dollar Used for Our Money?

July 23, 2020 by Karen Hill

During the 16th century, silver coins made in St. Joachimsthal, a town in Bohemia, a part of Czechoslovakia, were thought to contain the purest silver. This prized coin became known as the Joachimsthaler, a word that was shortened to thaler.

In some places in Europe, the word became daler. This was the name of certain Spanish coins that were used in America before the Revolution. In 1785, when the United States Congress decided to start issuing money, they chose that word, now spelled dollar, for the unit of currency.

Ten-daler Swedish coins, issued in 1644, weighed over 43 pounds each!

Related Facts

  • History of Money
  • Where Did the Word Dollar Come From and What Does the the Word Dollar Mean in German?
  • Where does the word “dollar” originate and What does dollar mean?
  • How does a dollar bill changer know whether your dollar note is real or fake?
  • Who invented Money and why?
  • How does the mint decide what symbols and designs are inscribed on American coins?

Filed Under: Odds

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Is English Money Called a Pound?
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