Testons

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historical coin of small value, often made of silver, used in France during the 16th and 17th centuries
2. A type of currency that featured a portrait of the reigning monarch, serving as a medium of exchange
3. Referring to a coin that has become obsolete, representing a specific era in monetary history

Etymology: The plural of "teston" is "testons," so the word names a group of coins rather than a single one. A teston was a French silver coin, and the term's roots lie in the head stamped on it: the Latin "testa," meaning "head" or "skull," which is also the source of the English word "test" in its older sense of an earthen pot or potsherd. The coin's name thus refers to the image of the ruler's head that appeared on its face. The coins were minted in France, and the word passed into English as a term for these foreign pieces. Its plural is the form most often encountered, since writers usually discussed several coins at once, whether in accounts, payments, or trade.

Synonyms: coins, silver coins, currency