The History of the Dollar Sign

[ComradeChris]

I heard that the dollar sign is actually a symbol once used to brand slaves. I was wondering if anyone could back that up. I checked on wikipedia, but that seems a little screwed up and far-fetched to me. I'm refering to the one with just one line through it too. Apparently the $ symbol was the symbol that meant slave. Any help would be greatly appreciated for arguing against capitalists.

DAMMIT ALL! I never proof read my titles. You'd think I'd learn by now :( .
Should say History.

[Essential Insignificance]

This genesis of the dollar sign is clouded in much uncertainty.

There have been many suggestions of how it was deprived!

But the most popular belief, if not the most feasible suggestion, is that it derives form the figure eight. However another submission is that it, actually derives from the handwritten "Ps" and abbreviation for peso. The symbol first transpired in the 1770's, I believe. The latter, I believe is taken to be more factual, then the former.

It would not have surprised me at all, if slaves were branded with the dollar sign, though.

[Hampton]

The Slavery Theory
There have been claims that the dollar symbol, $, is derived from the words for "slave" and "nail" in Spanish (or in Latin, according to one version of this theory that posits an earlier date for the invention of the symbol). The shackles worn by slaves could be locked by a nail which was passed through the rings or loops at the ends of the shackle and bent while it was still hot and malleable. The Spanish for slave is esclavo and for "nail" is clavo. Therefore the "S" with a nail, $, or S-clavo = esclavo or slave.

Slaves constituted a store of wealth and as a result the abbreviation for slaves that slave-owners used in their account books came to represent money.

This seems like the kind of explanation that would be popular with conspiracy theorists. It does not seem to be very popular in printed sources, at least not in English language ones, but I (Roy Davies) have seen it on the Internet and was also told it by someone who said he had heard it from a Latin-American economist and an American history professor.

www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/arian/dollar.html+dollar+sign+slave&hl=en]Link (http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:TcUj-6k-NXQJ:[url).[/url]

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

The dollar sign reads US, the S has an U on top. As time passed, people cut off the lower part of the U. Creating the famous S with 2 vertical stripes.

[ComradeChris]

Originally posted by Non-Sectarian Bastard!@Nov 11 2004, 10:47 PM
The dollar sign reads US, the S has an U on top. As time passed, people cut off the lower part of the U. Creating the famous S with 2 vertical stripes.
That's the kind of thing that seems bogus to me :lol: .


Hampton, you're amazing...thank you! :D

[h&s]

I heard once that it was a Moorish symbol of the greatness of their empire. There used to be a tower on Gibraltar Rock, and one on the other side. Their money showed the two towers with ribbon round them to signify the extent of their rule. The spanish continued to use this symbol for some time, but the ribbon image was worn down to make it look like the modern dollar symbol. This image was taken by the Spaniards to the America's, where it was adopted by the US.
Thats what I heard on the radio anyway.....

[ComradeChris]

So nobody knows for sure where the $ symbol came from? They're all just theories' each one as valid as the next? I'm really confused about this.

[Sabocat]

As stated, I'm pretty sure and was always told that the U.S. dollar symbol was indeed a combination of the U and S over each other.


The dollar symbol
Evolution of the modern dollar symbols.
Enlarge
Evolution of the modern dollar symbols.

The origin of the "$" sign has been variously accounted for. Perhaps the most widely accepted explanation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, is that it is the result of the evolution of the Mexican or Spanish "Ps" for pesos, or piastres, or pieces of eight. This theory, derived from a study of old manuscripts, explains that the floating "S" gradually came to be written over the "P," developing a close equivalent at the top to a distinct "$" mark. Subsequently, a single vertical stroke in place of the "P" became all that was necessary in written form. The symbol was widely used before the adoption of the United States dollar in 1785.

Currency bags issued by the US Mint were marked with a similar sign of superimposed letters. The letters U and S superimposed resemble the historical double stroke "$" sign. This double stroke dollar sign has been used to refer to US Currency. Changes from double stroke to single stroke dollar signs parallel changes from asset backed currency to fiat currency.

The dollar symbol is the only currency mark defined in the 7-bit ASCII computer character set. Other character sets contain other currency signs in addition to the dollar.

Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dollar)

[ComradeChris]

I know, but is that 100%, positively, how it evolved? And that came after the initial $ single-slashed symbol did it not?

[ComradeChris]

I just want to make sure of this before I present the information to my professor. These are all just theories. None of them are proven, that is correct?

[Dr. Rosenpenis]

I don't think the slavery thing is accurate, bceause I'm pretty sure the original dollar-sign has two lines down the center, not one. The single line is more recent.

[Raisa]

Wage $lavery. :(

[ComradeChris]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2004, 08:08 PM
I don't think the slavery thing is accurate, bceause I'm pretty sure the original dollar-sign has two lines down the center, not one. The single line is more recent.
Really, I thought it the opposite way. The US merging into the double slashed dollar sign was only after the US really lifted off in the world standing. I'd assume other countries would use the other dollar symbol, because isn't he double lined one exclusively in America?

[STI]

I thought it was because the founding fathers wanted to make it easy for leftists to make phun of the name "U$". :(

[ComradeChris]

Originally posted by [email protected] 18 2004, 10:38 PM
I thought it was because the founding fathers wanted to make it easy for leftists to make phun of the name "U$". :(
I dunno you could be right. To my understanding they're all theories. That's what I told my professor anyway :unsure: .