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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Leg-dollo(u)r, n. Also: legg-, lyg(g)- and -dolor, -dollar, -dol(l)er. [Leg n.¹ 1; Dollour, Dolour, a dollar. (Cf. also Leggit dollor and Leggie dollor.)]

A silver coin of the United Provinces. 1670 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 158 (= Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III. 126).
Forasmuch as there hath bein of late imported into this kingdome great numbers of these dollors commonly called leg dollors haveing the impression of a man in armes with one leg and a shield containing a coat of armes covering the other leg upon the one syd, which does usually passe at the rate of fiftie eight shillings Scotts money and seing that upon tryeall of the intrinseck … value thereof they are found to fall short of the forsaid rate and that in the Vnited Provinces where the saids dollors are coyned thy passe only at the rate of crose dollors, therefor … the Kings majesty … doeth declare that … the true … pryce at which the forsaids leg dollors ought to passe … is fiftie six shillings Scotts money 1667 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II. 155.
To … consider the value of those dollors commonly called leg dollors and to consider what prejudice the countrey sustaines by the importation thairof Ib.
The report … anent the fynnes and weight of the doucatdounes and leg dollors 1670 Lamont Diary 270.
The dollars comonly called the leg dollars were cryed down to 56 sh. wheras formerly they went for 58 sh. 1670 Aberd. Council Lett. V. 20.
As also yow are to hold out what lose this burghe in particular susteines by doune calling of the leg dollors wherby both we and the cuntrey are much destitute of money c1680 Mackenzie Affairs 228.]
[(1672,) In a time when the country was exhausted of money the leg dollars having been carried away to Holland being imprudently cry'd down here to 5s. 6d. (sic in pr.) 1685 Paterson Sc. Arithm. 9.
In Scotland we … keep our account … oftentimes by dollers, which is either called legg or cross-dollers, being 2 lb. 16 s. Scots, or els rix-dollors, being 2 lb. 18 s. Scots 1695 Proclam. Rate Money 12 July.
The leg-dollar, … cross-dollar and milnryne, each of them to fifty-eight shilling(a) 1671 Glasgow Trades House 450.
Ane ship of ventir daills lying at Greinock made offer to the toun be Dirrick Petersone of fyftein leg dollors the hundreth 1673 Lauder Jrnl. 270.
For seing Marriage a la mode acted … a leg dollar 1674 Arch. Scot. IV. 410.
The council [of St. Andrews] allowes to the thesaurer fyve legdolers given by the magistrates 1679 Rec. Old Aberd. II 154.
Four leg dolors and ane rex doller £14/2/0 1684 Cullen B. Rec. 31 (23 May).
For the pryce off ane hors tuentie legg dollars 1696 Kingarth Par. Rec. 184.
[He is] to be unlawed in a leg dollar(b) 1683 Dunferm. Kirk S. 75.
The rex doller and lyg doller … were shaken out [of the box] 1690 S. Leith Rec. 148.
Malcolm M^cCalla payed 8 lyg dollars of peneltie … Rot. Broun … paid 4 lygg dollars to the poor