Dear Anthea
Very interesting.
If this is the case about the Spanish Silver Dollar, and you make a very
compelling case, then most of the texts concerning the name of the
Dollarbird as relating to the US Silver Dollar would be incorrect. I reckon
you might want to float your analysis on some of the big European and
American bird sites to generate a good debate and set the record straight.
Kevin
on 2/2/05 5:58 PM, Brian Fleming at wrote:
> BobNoreen wrote:
>>
>> I'm wondering if any of you can help me please.
>>
>> When did the Broad-billed Roller (presumably its original name?)
>> become the Dollarbird? and does anyone know who/how it was renamed?
>>
>> I assume the change to metric currency influenced the name change and
>> would be interested in hearing any background on this
>>
>> Many thanks
>> Bob
> Nothing at all to do with going metric! According to "Australian Words
> and their origins" (O.U.P. 1989) the name was current by 1827 - based of
> course on the round white wing-mark seen in flight. At that time the
> dollar known in Australia was the Spanish silver dollar - which was
> punched to form the 'holey dollar' and the 'dump'. But English 19th
> Century slang referred to the sum of 5 shillings or crown as a dollar,
> and when I was a kid in the '40s one still sometimes heard the 5/- stake
> for a bet referred to as in "I had a dollar on Rimfire".
>
> Anthea Fleming
> in Ivanhoe, Vic.
> where the temp. has been about 12 all day and it's raining - heavily.
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