In the early years of the United States, the government had to decide what kind of money the new country would use. The Spanish Milled Dollar and its fractional parts had been used in colonial America for many years so it was decided to base the US money on it. The Spanish Milled Dollar was also called a "piece of eight" because it would often be cut into 8 equal pieces called bits . For a time both Spanish and American coins were used in daily trade so in the transition from the Spanish Dollar to the American Dollar, American quarters were worth "2 bits", or one fourth of the Spanish Dollar, the American half dollar was worth "4 bits", or one half of the Spanish Dollar. A quarter and a half dollar were worth "6 bits" or 3/4 of a Spanish Dollar. Although the "piece of eight" Spanish Dollar is no longer considered legal tender in the US, its history in our monetary system lives on in the term "2 bits"
The term "bit" used in the USA comes from the Spanish Milled silver dollar which could be cut into 8 equal parts, 8 bits, also known as a Piece of Eight. Technically, a bit is 12.5 cents but there are no one bit coins, only 2, 4, 6, and 8 bits. 2 bits being 25 cents [a quarter dollar], 4 bits being 50 cents [a half dollar] and so on. The term is dated and is used very little today.
its means a quarter
The reason the US quarter dollar (25 cents) is called "two bits" originates from the circa. 1598 practice of dividing a Spanish dollar (the Real de a Ocho) into eight wedge-shaped segments. The coin was worth eight Spanish reales, thus each wedge was worth 1 reale or "a piece of eight". Two such pieces (or "two bits") became a common nickname for a quarter dollar.
two eights make one quarter so it takes threes times as many to make three quarters. So, 6 eights make three quarters. ( A eighth of a dollar is called a bit so 2 bits is a quarter and 6 bits is 75 cents. There is an old song that ends with "Shave and a haircut - six bits.)
eight bits are in a dollar
two bits are in a quarter of a dollar
8 bits
There's actually a great place to stay called the Park City Mountain Resort. They cater to families, but have a lot of fun things for adults to do on their own as well.
One bit, two bits, three bits, a dollar, All those in favor stand up and holler!
2 bits times 2 = 4 bits. Or, a half-dollar.
A bit is 1/8 of a dollar or 12.5 cents so if you have six bits it is 75¢
A series of 8 bits is a Byte.
A bit is an eighth of a dollar, but in this sense it is never used in the singular. Two bits is a quarter.
In the early years of the United States, the government had to decide what kind of money the new country would use. The Spanish Milled Dollar and its fractional parts had been used in colonial America for many years so it was decided to base the US money on it. The Spanish Milled Dollar was also called a "piece of eight" because it would often be cut into 8 equal pieces called bits . For a time both Spanish and American coins were used in daily trade so in the transition from the Spanish Dollar to the American Dollar, American quarters were worth "2 bits", or one fourth of the Spanish Dollar, the American half dollar was worth "4 bits", or one half of the Spanish Dollar. A quarter and a half dollar were worth "6 bits" or 3/4 of a Spanish Dollar. Although the "piece of eight" Spanish Dollar is no longer considered legal tender in the US, its history in our monetary system lives on in the term "2 bits"
Half-dollar, half-a-buck, four bits
It all goes back to the pirates' "pieces of eight" which referred to the Spanish dollar which was worth eight reils. The Spanish dollar was legal tender in the US until the mid-1800's. At the same time the American dollar was equivalent to 4 quarters. Change for a dollar was often made by breaking or cutting the Spanish dollar into its eight pieces or "bits". By simple math 1 quarter was worth two pieces of eight or two bits. Two bits was 50 cents, six were 75 cents.