The dollar (often represented by the dollar sign $) is the name of the official currency of many countries, territories and dependencies, including Australia, Belize, Canada, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. On 15 January 1520, the Bohemian Count Hieronymus Schlick (Czech: Jeronm lik z Passounu) began minting coins known as Joachimsthaler, named for Joachimsthal (modern Jchymov in the Czech Republic), where the silver was mined. (In German, thal or tal refers to a valley or dale.) "Joachimsthaler" was later shortened in common usage to taler or thaler (same pronunciation) and this shortened word eventually found its way into other languages: Czech tolar, Danish and Norwegian (rigs)daler, Swedish (riks)daler, Dutch (rijks)daalder, Ethiopian ("talari"), Italian tallero, Flemish daelder, Persian Dare, as well as into English as dollar. The coins minted at Joachimsthal soon lent their name to other coins of similar size and weight from other places....
