On Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sonoran Room of the MountainView Clubhouse, the SaddleBrooke Coin Club hosted a talk on the silver Spanish milled dollar. This time-honored coin and its fractional parts (one-half, one, two, and four reales) were the principal coins of the American colonists, and were the forerunners of our own silver dollar and its fractional divisions.
The piece of eight continued to be a standard money unit throughout the entire colonial period. Even after the Revolutionary War ended in 1783 and the U.S. Mint was established in 1792, the Spanish dollar and its fractional parts circulated in this country with official sanction until 1857. One real equaled 12.5 cents and was known as a bit. A quarter of the dollar thus became known as two bits, a term that is still understood to mean 25 cents. Similarly, four bits equals a half dollar.
As always, all SaddleBrooke residents are welcome to attend our SaddleBrooke Coin Club meetings and do not have to be a club member. If you decide to join, membership is only $10 per year. For any questions, feel free to contact SaddleBrooke Coin Club President Terry Caldwell at [email protected] or call 719-246-1822.