Pieces of Eight

Pieces of Eight set.

One of the most commonly circulated coins in colonial America, the Spanish milled dollar was minted of New World silver primarily in Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia, and transported by the famed fleets of Spanish galleons at great risk of pirates,  hurricanes, and treacherous waters. These coins were valued by the weight of their silver, so the edges were patterned (milled) to make any shaving of the coin easily detectable.  The milled dollar became such a highly respected coin that it was legally circulated until 1857. This coin was also known as a Piece of Eight because it was commonly cut into pieces to make change - the expression "2 bits" to mean a quarter of a dollar came from the breaking of a milled dollar into 8 "bits".

We cast our set of Pieces of Eight lead-free pewter. The set includes one complete reproduction Spanish milled dollar along with 8 bits, 4 quarters, and 2 halves, The set is packaged in a poly bag with a history insert card.

WARNING  CHOKING HAZARD  SMALL PARTS  Not for children under 3. Recommended for adults and children aged 8 years and above.