specie
/ˈspē-shē -sē/ (ame, mw)
specie — noun
1. metal coinage used as currency, especially when distinguished from paper money
metal coinage used as currency, especially when distinguished from paper money
The merchant Mr. Okonkwo insisted on receiving rent payments in hard specie.
collocation: in specie / hard specie
A shortage of silver specie forced the colonial bank to close its doors.
Pirates seized the Spanish ship's cargo of gold specie near the Cuban coast.
Old Fernando kept his entire life savings in specie under the bedroom floorboards.
The spice merchant Nadia settled her debt in silver specie at the Marrakech souk.
- coinage
broader term that can also refer to the minting system itself, not just the coins
- hard currency
implies stable, trusted money that holds its value; not limited to coins
- bullion
precious metal in bulk form such as bars or ingots, not yet minted into coins
- paper money
currency in the form of printed banknotes rather than metal coins
- fiat currency
money declared legal tender by government decree, not backed by metal
用法筆記
Found chiefly in historical and legal documents. The phrase 'in specie' is the most frequent collocation, meaning 'in the form of coins.' Historically, 'specie' was occasionally used as a singular form of 'species' meaning a distinct kind or class. This usage is now obsolete and considered an error in modern English. Use 'species' instead.