Where does the expression pieces of eight come from?

Unlike today, cutting money was not illegal. In fact, it was expected that to make change people literally cut the coins into eight pieces, or “bits.” Hence, the British called the Spanish dollar a “Piece of Eight” (a coin worth eight pieces, or bits), and something valued at “two bits” cost a quarter of a dollar.

Similarly, What is meant by pieces of eight in Treasure Island?

Cutting money was not illegal, like it is now. In fact, it was expected that, to make change, they literally cut the coins into 8 pieces or “bits.” Hence, the British called the Spanish dollar a “Piece of Eight,” and when they said something cost “two bits,” they meant it cost a quarter of a dollar.

Additionally, Who would say pieces of eight? The pirate, Long John Silver, had a parrot that would say, “pieces of eight, pieces of eight”.

What did Pirates call silver coins?

The silver coins were known as Reales (Reals) and the gold coins, Escudos (Escudo) The chart below shows the denomination of each coins minted. The famous “Piece of Eight” was an 8 reale silver coin that had a distinctive “8” stamped into it.

Who wrote pieces of eight?

1. 2. “I’m O.K.”

…

Track listing.

What is the purpose of the 9 pieces of 8?

Each piece of eight reflected something about the lord who possessed the piece, and altogether, the nine pieces were used to bind the sea goddess Calypso to a human form, after Davy Jones informed the Brethren on how to capture her. The nine pieces of eight burned to release Calypso.

What are the 9 pieces of 8 Pirates of the Caribbean?

It’s a Spanish silver coin worth 8 Spanish reales. So the 9 pirates would break the coin (worth 8) into 9 pieces. One piece of the coin for each of the 9 pirates. So basically 9 pieces of a coin worth 8 of it’s face value.

What is a piece of eight coin?

The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (Spanish: Real de a ocho, Dólar, Peso duro, Peso fuerte or Peso), is a silver coin of approximately 38 mm (1.5 in) diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497.

What were the 9 pieces of 8?

The Nine Pieces of Eight, often referred to as just pieces of eight, were an important symbol in Pirate Lore as the items owned by the Pirate Lords of the Brethren Court.

What does the parrot say in Treasure Island?

Setting the Scene

In Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, the one-legged pirate Long John Silver had a parrot which cried ‘pieces of eight‘. The parrot’s name was Captain Flint.

What is a pirate coin called?

The two-escudo (or $4 coin) was the “doubloon” or “pistole”, and the large eight-escudo (or $16) was a “quadruple pistole”.

What is a doubloon coin?

A doubloon is an old-fashioned gold coin. When you find a treasure chest at the beach, you might be disappointed to find it’s not full of doubloons, but instead is stuffed with sand, shells, and a few irritable hermit crabs.

What do pirates say when they find treasure?

Pirate Lingo

•
9 sept. 2014

What year did Styx Pieces of Eight come out?

Styx’s mega-triple-platinum smash success Pieces of Eight was released 41 years ago today by A&M Records on September 1, 1978. Styx members Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young discuss its origins, plus we find out why the album’s most indelible song, “Renegade,” became of primary importance to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How many records did Styx sell?

Styx has sold over 54 million records worldwide.

What Styx album is Renegade on?

“Renegade” is a 1979 hit song recorded by the American rock band Styx on their Pieces of Eight album. Although songwriter Tommy Shaw and fellow Styx guitarist James Young usually played lead guitar on their own compositions, Young asked Shaw if he could take the solo on “Renegade”.

How did the cabin boy get a piece of eight?

When the First Brethren Court met to bind Calypso, the Pirate Lords intended to use nine pieces of eight to do that, but they were too short on money, so they used whatever they had in their pockets at the time. … When the pirate Ragetti lost his right eye, he received 300 pieces of eight as a compensation.

Why did they bind Calypso?

At the First Meeting of the Brethren Court, the Pirate Lords bound Calypso in human form, sealing her fate with the Nine Pieces of Eight so that the rule of the sea would belong to men.

What do the coins mean in At World’s End?

In a following scene, Barbossa tosses a piece of eight to Sao Feng and says, “The song has been sung. … It appears that the coin pieces of eight are a sort of beacon for the pirate lords to signal that they must convene the brethren court to stop the threat against them.

Why did the kid have a piece of eight?

Because they were used by the First Brethren Court to bind Calypso in human form, the Pieces of Eight were ritualistically burned by Hector Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, in the time of the Fourth Brethren Court.

How did Jack Sparrow get a piece of eight?

According to pirate lore, Jack Sparrow acquired the Moroccan beads from a French lady of questionable reputation. And the coin was an ancient coin from Siam; one of the first two bits he ever pirated. Jack bought his hat with the second bit.

How much is a gold piece of eight?

Piece of Eight

The famous “gold doubloon” was worth 2 escudos or four dollars. The Spanish dollar is the common currency of the Spanish Empire, as well as the pirate haven of Nassau and many British colonies, for it is viewed as a more stable currency.

What are Spanish coins called?

The peseta ceased to be legal tender in 2002, when the euro, the monetary unit of the European Union, was adopted as the country’s sole monetary unit. In 1868 the peseta replaced the peso, which had been adopted in the 15th century and which was known in full as the peso de ocho (“piece of eight”), as Spain’s currency.