Legal Definitions - pecune

Pecune is a historical legal term that refers to money or financial assets. While its exact origin is unknown, it was used in past legal contexts to denote monetary wealth.

The term pecune is a historical legal term that refers to money or financial assets. It is an archaic word, meaning it is no longer commonly used in modern legal or everyday language, but it would appear in older legal documents or historical texts when discussing financial matters.

• Example 1: In a 17th-century will, a wealthy merchant might have dictated, "I bequeath all my lands to my eldest son, and all my pecune to be divided equally amongst my daughters."

  Explanation: Here, "pecune" clearly refers to the merchant's liquid financial assets – his money – which he is distributing to his daughters, distinct from his real estate.

• Example 2: During a historical court proceeding concerning a breach of contract from the 1800s, the plaintiff might have sought restitution for "the lost goods and the pecune promised for their delivery."

  Explanation: In this context, "pecune" denotes the specific sum of money that was agreed upon as payment for the delivery of goods, which the plaintiff is now seeking to recover due to the contract's failure.

• Example 3: An old municipal charter from a medieval town might have stipulated that "each citizen shall contribute a certain measure of grain and a portion of their pecune to the common treasury for the upkeep of the town walls."

  Explanation: This example illustrates "pecune" as a direct financial contribution, alongside other forms of assets like grain, required from citizens to fund public works, highlighting its meaning as monetary wealth.