The Dollar Sign

The 1770s saw the first use
Of the dollar sign, when it referred
To the Spanish American peso, although
“Spanish dollar” was frequently heard.

You might think the dollar sign looks like an S
With a stroke or two drawn down the middle
Because the initial for “Spanish” is S,
But that’s not how to answer the riddle.

One theory’s that folks would abbreviate “pesos”
To P with a superscript S,
Which soon overlapped till the P disappeared.
That transition must look like a mess.

An alternate theory: The Pillars of Hercules,
Wrapped in a ribbon, appeared
On certain coins made in Bolivia and looked
Like the dollar sign. Gee, that sounds weird.

That mint in Bolivia had also perhaps
Used the monogram “PTSI.”
The S may have come with a line down the center
On coins, though I’d like to ask why.

The other strong theory: The Joachimsthaler
Was sim’lar and bore S and J,
Or else it depicted a snake on a cross,
But these coins can’t be found to this day.

Some five other theories existed at one time,
But experts discredited those.
It’s not from “US” with U’s bottom cut off,
As the fans of Ayn Rand might suppose.

Book Review: Darwin's Radio

Sorry, I gave up after reading 100 pages of The Fifth Season. The story is both bizarre and bleak, a deadly combination to my mind. Half the chapters feature second-person narration, which feels condescending to the point of grating, particularly outside of Choose Your Own Adventure, role-playing games, and other activities where the addressee retains some agency. And I got tired of turning to the incomplete glossary.

With that, I decided it was time for another sci-fi novel. I'd heard of Greg Bear but never read anything by him. I also wanted to take one of the thicker volumes off my shelf in preparation for Christmas gifts.

( Cut for length )

Since a DR conversation brings up Jean M. Auel, I am now reading The Clan of the Cave Bear. Not the first I'd heard of it.