"buck" meaning dollar

Laurence Horn laurence.horn at YALE.EDU
Mon Dec 4 20:38:10 UTC 2006


>some more text:
>
>1848 Pioneer History: Being an Account of the First Examinations of the Ohio
>Valley, and the Early Settlement of the Northwest Territory... By Samuel
>Prescott Hildreth (Cincinnati) p.138:
>
>On the frontiers, and especially among the Indians, the value of property was
>estimated in bucks, instead of dollars or pounds--a buck was valued at one
>dollar. A copy of the following certificate, recorded in Colonel Morgan's
>journal, among several others of the same tenor, is worth preserving:
>"I do certify, that i am indebted to the beared, Captian Johnny, seven
>bucks and
>one doe,

whence e.g.
"That'll set you back seven bucks"
"That's a lot of doe"

LH

>for the use of the states, this 19th April, 1779. Signed,  Samuel
>Sample, assistant quartermaster.
>The above is due to him for pork, for the use
>of the garrison at Fort Laurens.
>(signed) John Gibson, Colonel"
>Colonel Gibson was the commander of this post. These certificates were
>redeemed
>at fort Pitt, by the Indian agent, or the commandant of the place.

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