Oliver Pollock
By Evan Short
While new faces will be replacing old ones on dollar denominations one thing that won’t be changing is the dollar symbol itself.
And the Irish-born American patriot who invented the famous dollar symbol has been honored in his home county of Tyrone with a permanent memorial.
Oliver Pollock, who was born in the small village of Bready, in 1737, immigrated to America in 1760 at the age of 23 where his success in business and antipathy towards Britain saw him become a leading patriot.
He originally settled in Philadelphia where he became a merchant specializing in trade with the West Indies and living for a time in Havana.
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But it was in New Orleans where he was to make his name, and fortune, becoming known for his fair pricing of goods.
Pollock was also to grow in political influence and was part of the Spanish military force that fought against the British in 1779 that saw the modern states of Florida, Alabama and Louisiana wrested from London’s control, all this being a hugely influential part of the Revolutionary War that saw America win its independence.
Pollock also funded the campaign of George Rogers Clark who fought the British in Illinois, an action that is credited with weakening British control of the Northwest Territory.
Pollock is said to have created the dollar sign as a monogram of the USA.
The U and the S were overlaid and the bottom of the U was taken out.
Correspondence between Founding Father Robert Morris Jr. and Pollock is the first time the dollar sign was written down.
Pollock’s memory will be immortalized with a blue plaque in Bready – the 200th to have been erected by the Ulster History Circle which recognizes and brings attention to historical figures from the North’s six counties.
Chris Spurr from the Ulster History Circle said Pollock was a worthy recipient of the honor.
“Our 200th blue plaque is a historic milestone for a hard-working voluntary organization that continues to make a distinctive contribution to Ulster’s flourishing heritage industry,” he said.
“Choosing Oliver Pollock and Bready for our milestone plaque reminds people that the Ulster History Circle has a place as much in the smaller historic communities, as in big cities.
“In devising the dollar sign, Oliver Pollock created a small symbol which made a big impact. We hope our plaques do the same.”
