What obsolete coin denominations are still used as terms for money?

Discussion in 'World Coins' started by The Eidolon, Mar 8, 2021.

  1. The Eidolon

    The Eidolon Well-Known Member

    Just learned that "soldi" is the standard Italian term for money, even thought the denomination (1/20th lira) is long gone. I think the analogous French "sou" is also used as slang for money. Are any other similar terms still in common use?
    Please post any examples which come to mind (with the coin if you have one)!

    Below: 1 Soldo, Gorizia, 1764 and 4 Soldi, Corsica, 1764
    Gorizia 1 Soldo 1764 H copy.jpeg Corsica 4 Soldi 1764 Pasquale Paoli.jpeg
     
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  3. KBBPLL

    KBBPLL Well-Known Member

    "Two bits" is an American expression for a quarter dollar, dating from colonial times, which derives from a "bit" having been a Spanish real, which was one-eighth of a Spanish dollar (piece of eight). The "still used" criteria is questionable, since I'm not sure if my kids' generation knows that two bits is a quarter. Nobody uses it in daily conversation referring to money anymore so maybe it doesn't qualify. Calling something "two bit" as an adjective meaning "cheap" is still around.
     
  4. JayAg47

    JayAg47 Well-Known Member

    Panam in Tamil means money, although the official name for the Indian currency is called Rupees.
    This British India coin from 1802 is called Double Fanam, minted in Madras presidency encompassing the Tamil speaking region reflects the name!
    fanam.png
     
  5. serdogthehound

    serdogthehound Well-Known Member

    one cent in Quebecois with a quarter being 30 sou

    One that is easy to overlook is "Penny" in American English
     
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  6. The Eidolon

    The Eidolon Well-Known Member

    I guess even the US "penny" is an anachronism since we use a decimal dollar.
    Pennies copy.jpg
     
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  7. norantyki

    norantyki CoinMuncher

    In Quebec, the term 'Piastre' is still commonly used to refer to $1CAD. In France, I have heard the term 'Decime' used for a 10 Euro cent. In Poland, the antiquated term 'Trojak' is sometimes used when designating a multiple of 3 Zlote (jeden trojak, dwie trojki). In the UK, I have heard old-timers very occasionally use 'Backed Sterling' to refer to Bank of England Banknotes (a holdover from when chartered notes also circulated).
     
  8. Robert Ransom

    Robert Ransom Well-Known Member

    Isn't quid still used in Great Britain?
    upload_2021-3-8_7-50-12.png
     
  9. Hiddendragon

    Hiddendragon World coin collector

    I've heard rappers talk about "making ducats" in songs before. At least I think that's what they're saying.
     
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  10. JPD3

    JPD3 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
    Sixpence - 'bandy' & 'half a hog'
     
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  11. norantyki

    norantyki CoinMuncher

  12. Mr.Q

    Mr.Q Well-Known Member

    Great stuff everyone, thanks.
     
  13. CaptHenway

    CaptHenway Survivor

    From my observation "Two Bits" is fairly obsolete now, except among us old farts.
     
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  14. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I hereby petition to replace the word Penny with Centy in American English
     
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  15. OutsiderSubtype

    OutsiderSubtype Well-Known Member

    Dinero is the most obvious example to me.

    Still the standard Spanish word for money and also borrowed and widely used by English speakers.

    The word comes from the Arabic dinar which in turn came from the Roman denarius.
     
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  16. scottishmoney

    scottishmoney Buh bye

    scotlandwilliamandmarybawbee.jpg
    The Scots "bawbee" became the ha'penny up until decimalisation in 1971. When Scotland and England became the United Kingdom in 1707 all Scots silver and gold coinage was recalled and melted in Edinburgh to become the new "British" coinage - but the bronze issues like the Scots tuppence and the Scots sixpence soldiered on in circulation as farthings and halfpennies well into the mid to late 18th century as there was always a shortage of small coin in Scotland so you used whatever you could. Curiously the tuppence as a farthing was overvaluing the coin - it was actually worth a third of a halfpenny and not a half of a halfpenny.
     
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  17. BurningRubber92

    BurningRubber92 New Member

    Canada still uses their cent as currency, although it's obsolete.
     
  18. KBBPLL

    KBBPLL Well-Known Member

    The Joachimsthaler (Bohemia, 1518) became the thaler, which in English became dollar.
     
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  19. talerman

    talerman Well-Known Member

    The Romanian leu is the currency of Romania. It is subdivided into 100 bani ( singular: ban ), a word that also means "money" in Romanian.
     
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  20. whopper64

    whopper64 Well-Known Member

    Don't know if this counts, but I think that our "dollar" comes from the German "thaler" (pronounced as Tollar), used in Germany up to the late 1800's.
     
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  21. manny9655

    manny9655 Well-Known Member

    In Greece, "lepta" (or "lefta" in some regions) still means money, usually currency, even though a lepton was not worth much when they went to the euro.
     
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