• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

The origin of "two bits"

7 posts in this topic

The phrase isn't used very often anymore, but when I was a kid it was pretty common for folks to refer to a quarter as "two bits." Well, as most of you know already, the phrase originated with the Spanish Milled dollar, or 8 reales, so 1 bit was an eighth of a dollar, hence a quarter was two eighths or bits. Attached is an image of a coin I found, the original "two bits" this is a colonial Mexico 2 Reales coin from the year of our nation's birth, 1776. A neat piece of history!

 

2 Reales Obverse

2 Reales Reverse

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You guys are so gullible. The origin of "two bits" is from singing barbers, who would accidentally nick a person's scalp in a couple of places because they were too busy singing or humming.

 

Trust me; I have a degree in History!

 

EVP

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites