billon
[ bil-uh n ]
/ ˈbɪl ən /
noun
an alloy used in coinage, consisting of gold or silver with a larger amount of base metal.
an alloy of silver with copper or the like, used for coins of small denomination.
any coin struck from such an alloy.
Origin of billon
1720–30; < French: debased metal, orig. ingot, equivalent to Middle French
bille log (see
billet2) +
-on noun suffix
Words nearby billon
billingsgate,
billion,
billionaire,
billiton,
billman,
billon,
billow,
billow cloud,
billowy,
billposter,
billroth's operation i
Example sentences from the Web for billon
The particular coins so designated, were billon or copper, and are described in Lindsay's "Coinage of Scotland," p. 183.
The Works of John Knox, Vol. 1 (of 6) |John KnoxThe same result could be got by taking the billon money of Florence and calculating from its silver contents.
The History of Currency, 1252 to 1896 |William Arthur ShawThe gold coins do not so signally fail; it is in the inferior metals, especially the billon and copper, that the difficulty lies.
The Confessions of a Collector |William Carew HazlittIn this rsum the mention of billon money has been generally avoided, as unduly complicating the subject.
The History of Currency, 1252 to 1896 |William Arthur Shaw
British Dictionary definitions for billon
billon
/ (ˈbɪlən) /
noun
an alloy consisting of gold or silver and a base metal, usually copper, used esp for coinage
any coin made of such an alloy
Word Origin for billon
C18: from Old French: ingot, from
bille log; see
billet ²