Talk:Bawbee

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By Ian Stewart (The Scottish Coinage, Spink 1955) in the first issue (1542) value was 6d, weight was 29 grains (about 1.87 g) the silver was 3 deniers (i.e. 250/1000).

--Carlo Morino aka zi' Carlo 11:31, 19 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

• This article says "According to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, The word "bawbee" is derived from the Laird of Sillebawby, a mint-master. That there was such a laird is quite certain from the Treasurer's account, September 7th, 1541, "In argento receptis a Jacobo Atzinsone, et Alexandro Orok de Sillebawby respective."". But:
  • Google search for 'Sillebawby -wikipedia' (the '-' means "exclude") shows only "about 2,090" results. A moneyer with a name sounding like "silly bawbee" sounds too good to be true. One web page calls him "the laird of Sillebawby". But where is this place Sillebawby which he is said to be of/from? What independent proof is there that he existed? I see these possibilities:
  1. It is a hoax in Wikipedia.
  2. It is an old hoax, perhaps very old, which Wikipedia has picked up and repeated.
  3. It is true.
  4. He was named or nicknamed "de Sillebawby" because he issued debased money.

  The old connection between Scotland and France, which has brought other French words into Scottish English, makes the French etymology bas billon="debased copper money" likelier-looking to me. Anthony Appleyard (talk) 14:01, 12 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]