On 03/05/2011 14:43, Charles Craft wrote:
> Aren't there 8 bits in a dollar?
Pieces of eight. Hence two bits =3D 1/4

Really the post 1497  Spanish Dollar of "Spanish Main" pirate lore worth=20
8 Reales, whatever they where. They may once have been equivalent in=20
value to 1 US Dollar. or UK Crown ( 5 shillings). A Doubloon was 32=20
Reales, 4 Spanish Dollars originally later 80?, though some people have=20
thought "pieces of eight" was 1/8th Doubloon as they are more popular in=20
"pirate" stories than Dollars. Doubloon =3D 2 x Escudo which seems to have=
=20
varied from 16 to 40 Reales.


Though obviously 8 bits can represent 100 cents with sign.

--=20
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