The “Peso de a ocho” or “The Spanish Dollar”    THE PIRATES DESIRE

The famous "Peso de a ocho", or "Piece of Eight" was a silver coin also known as "The Spanish Dollar," and had a value of eight reales. It was coined by the Spanish Empire after the monetary reform in 1497 which originally established the Spanish Real. Thanks to its wide usage across the Americas, the Far East and Europe in the late eighteenth century it was to become the first worldwide currency.

The most important Spanish currency circulated throughout the world for 400 years. From the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries Spain created the greatest Empire in history and its currency was circulated throughout its colonies: Asia, the Philippines, Guam and even China.

The most famous "Piece of Eight" is the Silver Column. Its Herculean columns were inspired to create the dollar symbol we still use today.