Pieces of eight
A History of the World in 100 Objects
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The Importance of Spanish American Silver
Silver from Potosí mines made Spain rich, but it was the Potosí mint that laid the foundations of a global currency. The coins were loaded onto llamas for the two months trek over the Andes to Lima and the Pacific coast. They eventually destabilized the East Asian economies and caused chaos in Ming China. Pieces of eight even got to Australia in the 19th century when British authorities ran out of currency there.
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