A small Scottish coin of low value, equivalent to about two pennies, used historically in Scotland.
Possibly derived from Alexander Orrok of Sillebawby, a Scottish mint master who introduced a coinage system, or from the Dutch 'bob' meaning a coin. The exact etymology is disputed among Scottish historians and numismatists.
Bawbee is a mystery word—historians genuinely argue about whether it comes from a guy named Alexander or a Dutch word, making it the kind of linguistic controversy that delights etymology nerds because both explanations seem equally plausible.
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