Preface: This blog post explains the origin of the phrase “buck” when it comes to U.S. currency, but the fascination goes well beyond its link to the white-tailed deer. I should also note that it’s taken me years to realize it, but I’m a genuine nerd when it comes to statistics, especially when applying them to the way things used to be. So, it’s understandable my mind – and Google search history – went numb this morning after crunching the numbers behind the history of a phrase we all take for granted, “a buck.”
When I wore a younger man’s clothes (and hair), my buddy and I would belly up to a bar and imbibe in Leinenkugel’s “shortys.” Breweries were common for offering these little 7-ounce beer bottles to taverns across my home state of Wisconsin. Back then (1989-ish), they sold Leinie’s Originals “four for a buck” on Friday nights.
Where Did the Term “Buck” Come From?
Yes, legend has it the term “buck” refers to a white-tailed deer hide, and that early Americans used buckskins as currency for goods and/or services. Although the exact origin of the term remains unclear, there is proof that diplomat Conrad Weiser first used the term in 1748 when describing colonial transactions with Native Americans in Pennsylvania.
In his published journal, Weiser indicated that a cask of whiskey was worth “five bucks.” In another entry, he noted how a man in town was robbed to the tune of “300 bucks.” Bucks, these notes, were his shorthand for “buckskins.”
Interesting enough, but I couldn’t turn my brain off quite yet. What is a cask of whiskey? How many ounces in a cask? How many ounces in a standard bottle of whisky? Oh, you can probably add more here. Inquiring minds wanted to know!
Well, I’ll save you the screen time. Whiskey casks are essentially the oak barrels used to store the liquor as it ages. They come in many sizes, but a standard size in those days was 36 gallons. A standard whiskey bottle was a tad over 25 ounces. There’s 128 ounces in 1 gallon, so that means one cask would hold roughly 4,608 ounces of whiskey. Still not done. If we divide 4,608 by 25, we come up with approximately 184 bottles of whiskey.
Further research shows that a good leathery can get about four pairs of work gloves out of one good buckskin. It’s safe to assume, however, that premium leather gloves were not a high priority 275 years ago. Horse saddles and footwear were likely much more important.
So-called modern technology has pushed leather goods to the back burner today, and I find it incredibly sad to think about how many deer hides are wasted in these times of record whitetail populations across North America.
