Uploaded January 2018 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The Spanish 8 Reales contains 27 grams of 90.3% silver. The obverse depicts King Ferdinand VII. The reverse depicts a coat of arms flanked by the Pillars of Hercules. The Pillars of Hercules inspired the dollar sign $. The 8 Reales is one of the most widely traded coins in history. Spanish 8 Reales circulated in America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Spanish 8 Reales circulated in America since colonial times. The Spanish 8 Reales inspired the US silver dollar. Spanish 8 Reales remained legal tender in the US until the Civil War. Chinese merchants stamped "chop marks" onto 8 Reales to authenticate them. Australians often drilled holes into 8 Reales, creating a "Holey dollar." It's common practice to cut up 8 Reales into little pieces to be spent as small change. Pieces cut from 8 Reales are called "bits." In fact, a US quarter is sometimes called "2 bits."
The Spanish 8 Reales contains 27 grams of 90.3% silver. The obverse depicts King Ferdinand VII. The reverse depicts a coat of arms flanked by the Pillars of Hercules. The Pillars of Hercules inspired the dollar sign $. The 8 Reales is one of the most widely traded coins in history. Spanish 8 Reales circulated in America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. Spanish 8 Reales circulated in America since colonial times. The Spanish 8 Reales inspired the US silver dollar. Spanish 8 Reales remained legal tender in the US until the Civil War. Chinese merchants stamped "chop marks" onto 8 Reales to authenticate them. Australians often drilled holes into 8 Reales, creating a "Holey dollar." It's common practice to cut up 8 Reales into little pieces to be spent as small change. Pieces cut from 8 Reales are called "bits." In fact, a US quarter is sometimes called "2 bits."
