Have you ever wondered how "$" became the abbreviation for a dollar? Historians have been puzzled to find the origin of the use of the dollar sign in Europe as early as the 17th century. How was this symbol developed, and how did an S come to mean dollar? Well, some historians now theorize the story begins around 400 years ago. Sigismund III Vasa, King of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587-1632 may be the origin point for the now-ubiquitous symbol. The silver coins struck during his reign bore a large and distinct "S" as the king's initial. The ornate flourishes made it look like more than just an "S". These silver coins were worth 1/108 of a thaler, a prominent currency at the time, and one of the words that "dollar" derives from. With low literacy rates at the time, the prominent "S" on the coins became an identifiable and easy symbol for even the common folk to recreate if they could not write "thaler". So, this theory places the 1/108 thaler of King Sigismund III as the first $ coin. Explore the history surrounding this coin with a detailed story card and certificate of authenticity neatly packed into a lovely storage box. This centuries-old silver coin is an insanely affordable piece of history to add to your collection!
Highlights:
- Silver thaler
- Certificate of authenticity
- Over 400 years old
