Now Hist. Also 6 soul. [Older F. sol (now sou SOU), = Prov. sol, Pg. and It. soldo, Sp. sueldo:—L. solidum, acc. of solidus (sc. nummus) a gold coin.] A former coin and money of account in France and some other countries, equal to the twentieth part of a livre, but varying in actual value at different times and places.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., III. 87. A pot of sweete mylke, a groat and an halfe, and a pounde of butter two souls.
1605. B. Jonson, Volpone, IV. v. (1607), K 3. This fellow, For six sols more, would pleade against his Maker.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 250. Euery Chiquinie containing eleuen Liuers, and twelue sols; the Liuer is nine pence, the sol an halfe penny.
1639. S. Du Verger, trans. Camus’ Admir. Events, 352. He put his hand into his pocket, and thinking to draw out a Sol, which is little more then an English penny, and gave it him with a good wil.
1748. Smollett, R. Random, xliv. My pay … amounted to five sols a day.
1789. Burke, Corr. (1844), III. 122. A new paper-currency … which is to bear an interest of one sol in the livre.
1809. A. Henry, Trav., 54. In this exchange, a pound of beaver-skin is reckoned at sixty sols.
[1873. E. E. Hale, In His Name, i. 1/1. He would relax his hold on the odd sols and deniers as if he had never clung to them.]
