NOMISMA

decimal system

十進法 / decimal-system — Institutions

Counting in which the place rises by tens.

Decimal one-gulden silver coin Decimal one-gulden silver coinEstablished by the law of 1816 Flowing Hair dollar Flowing Hair dollar1794 Décime (Dupré type) Décime (Dupré type)1796–97
A photograph of what this word names.

⚠ Dividing currency by ten is, in fact, a recent idea. Dividing by twelve or twenty made it easier to split into thirds and quarters, and was better suited for daily shares. Ten was only chosen when society began to prioritize ease of calculation.