Peso fuerte, real de a ocho or spanish/mexican dollar the first global currency. (required, foundation)

[Travelling fella]

The Spanish dollar (also known as the piece of eight, the real de a ocho or the eight-real coin) is a silver coin, worth eight reales, that was minted in the Spanish Empire after a Spanish currency reform in 1497. It was legal tender in the United States until an Act of the United States Congress discontinued the practice in 1857. Because it was widely used in Europe, the Americas, and the Far East, it became the first world currency by the late 18th century. Many existing currencies, such as the Canadian dollar, United States dollar, and the Chinese yuan, as well as currencies in Latin America and the Philippine peso, were initially based on the Spanish dollar and other 8-reales coins.

This coin was originally known in English as a piece of eight, then as a Spanish dollar, and then as a Mexican dollar. This peso coin was called piastre in French and pataca or patacão in Portuguese. In Spanish, this peso was also known at various times and in various places as a patacón, a duro, or a fuerte. Peso is the name used in Puerto Rico for the U.S. dollar.

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In the spanish america, around 1535 in Mexico city was minted for the first time a silver coin initially called Peso Fuerte (Strong Peso) or Real (Royal). It's weight was of 27 grams and it was 92% pure silver. it was all around the world since the XVIII century.

The first Mint in America was created in 1535 with the arrival of Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza, who brought with him a royal letter, where the Spanish crown dictated the foundation of the first mint in the continent which started producing coins since 1536.

Following independence in 1821, Mexican coinage of silver reales and gold escudos followed that of Spanish lines until decimalization and the introduction of the peso. The Mexican 8-reales coin (eventually becoming a 1-peso coin) continued to be a popular international trading coin throughout the 19th century.

After 1918, the peso was reduced in size and fineness, with further reductions in the 1940s and 1950s. However, 2- (1921), 5- (1947) and 10- (1955) peso coins were minted during the same period, similar in size and fineness to the old peso.

[zacatecana]

Very interesting TF!

Thanks