US Dollar Sign

[divewrecks]

This came from a book published in 1913 on Panama I found in Google books...

PIECE OF EIGHT "Our dollar sign is derived from the sign used to indicate " pieces of eight" in the old account books; an eight canceled with two vertical lines (to keep it from being added up with the other figures), thus: 8. This sign became $, because it is quicker and easier to write an S, than an 8."

Stan

 

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Very interesting Stan, I thought and what I had heard? It had to do with the Pillars of Herculie's
and the sash ( Plus Ultra ) like the Spanish colonial Bust dollars
Sam

 

[divewrecks]

I guess there are a lot of thoughts on this....Stan

Alternative hypotheses - There are a number of other theories about the origin of the symbol, some with a measure of academic acceptance, others the symbolic equivalent of folk etymologies.

Slash 8
That the dollar sign is derived from a slash through the numeral eight, denoting pieces of eight. The Oxford English Dictionary before 1963 held that this was the most probable explanation, though later editions have placed it in doubt.

Potosi mint mark
That the dollar sign was derived from or inspired by the mint mark on the Spanish "pieces of eight" that were minted in Potosí (in present day Bolivia). The mint mark was composed of the letters "PTSI" superimposed on one another and bear an undeniable resemblance to the single-stroke dollar sign (see above photo). The mark, which appeared on silver coins minted from 1573 to 1825 in Potosí, the largest mint during the colonial period, would have been widely recognized throughout the North American colonies.

Spanish coat of arms
That the dollar sign derives from the Spanish coat of arms engraved on the Spanish colonial silver coins. The Spanish coat of arms on the coins includes two columns, the Pillars of Hercules and a small "S"-shaped ribbon around each, with the motto "Plus Ultra".

From 'US'
That $ is a monogram of U. S., used on money bags issued by the United States Mint. The letters U and S superimposed resemble the historical double stroke "$" sign: the bottom of the 'U' disappears into the bottom curve of the 'S', leaving two vertical lines. This theory, popularized by novelist Ayn Rand in Atlas Shrugged [9], does not consider the fact that the symbol was already in use before the formation of the United States.

"Unit of silver"
That it derives from "unit of silver", each unit being one "bit" of the "pieces of eight". Before the American Revolution, prices were often quoted in units of the Spanish dollar. According to this theory, when a price was quoted the capital 'S' was used to indicate silver with a capital 'U' written on top to indicate units. Eventually the capital 'U' was replaced by double vertical hash marks.

German Thaler
That it derives from the symbol used on a German Thaler. According to Ovason (2004), on one type of thaler one side showed the crucified Christ while the other showed a serpent hanging from a cross, the letters NU near the serpent's head, and on the other side of the cross the number 21. This refers to the Bible, Numbers, Chapter 21 (see Nehushtan).

Roman sestertius
That the dollar sign goes back to the most important Roman coin, the sestertius, which had the letters 'HS' as its currency sign. When superimposed these letters form a dollar sign with two vertical strokes (the horizontal line of the 'H' merging into the 'S').

Greek mythology
That the dollar sign may have also originated from Hermes, the Greek god of bankers, thieves, messengers, and tricksters: Besides the crane, one of his symbols was the caduceus, a staff from which ribbons or snakes dangled in a sinuous curve.

Pillars in the temple of Solomon
That the two vertical lines represent the two cult pillars Boaz and Jachin in the original Temple of Solomon at Jerusalem. This is based on the idea that Masonic symbols, such as the All Seeing Eye of God, appear on U.S. currency, although they did not in 1785.

Alchemic sigil for cinnabar
A symbol that looks like it has shown up as an alchemic sigil for cinnabar dating at least as far back as the early eighteenth century.

 

[traderoftreasures]

this is what and where i heard it was from...... please read contains important treasure information http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potosí

 

[MORE AND BEYOND OSSY]

Here is some documention on my theory on the Dollar sign origin, backed by the Royal Australian Mint, a government Institution.
this booklet is part of a commemorative 1758 Pillar dollar reproduction.
Cheers, Ossy