noun
specie
SPEE-shee/ˈspiʃi/
Money in the form of coins rather than paper or credit.
The purse holds specie in the form of gold and silver coins.
Etymology
The Latin word for “kind” or “form” appeared in in specie, meaning “in kind” or “in actual form.” In monetary use, that phrase specialized to payment in minted coins, giving specie its present sense.
In context
basically what Democrats believed in was specie so the only kind of currency that was legitimate
More examples
- A shortage of specie forces the town to rely on credit.
- The treasury holds its specie in a guarded vault.
- Customers exchange their banknotes for specie at the counter.
Forms
specie