Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US, also jo) a Johannes, a Portuguese gold coin properly the dobra de quatro escudos, minted by Joannes or João V (1703–50), of the value of approx. 36s. sterling.

1765		R.H. Thornton Amer. Gloss. I 496: Into the L....rs hands [full] many a Jo / Was slily put.
1767		‘Andrew Barton’ Disappointment I i: quad: What sum do you imagine Mr. Rattletrap, will be necessary for each to deposit? rat: O trifling, trifling, I suppose about half a Joe per man.
1772		in F. Chase Hist. Dartmouth College (1891) I 262: [note] Let Mr. Ripley have a guinea, half a jo, and 9 coppers.
1782		Stamford Mercury 17 Jan. 2/2: He gave five joes to each of his soldiers.
1783		‘Peter Pindar’ Odes R. Academ. in Works (1790) I 75: Or Sol’s bright orb – be sure to make him glow Precisely like a guinea, or a jo.
1783		Barbados Mercury 19 Apr. 3/1: Two joes reward will be paid to any person who will apprehend and deliver him [i.e. a runaway slave].
1805		J. Davis Post Captain (1813) 52: Was it for this I married you [...] and put you in possession of a bag full of joes?* [note] *Joes are golden coins that go in the West Indies.
1809		Barbados Mercury 3 Jan. 4/2: A Reward of Five Joes will be given to any person that will deliver him [i.e. a runaway slave] to Mr Hudson.
1830		Yorks. Gaz. 3 Apr. 4/4: I also had the honour to pay for brown Bess myself. Yes, Sir, and she cost me ten Joes.
1833		Marryat Peter Simple (1911) 245: The price of the tickets of admission was high – I think they were half a joe, or eight dollars each.
1837		R. Barham ‘Hand of Glory’ Ingoldsby Legends I (1866) 27: The fair Rose-Noble, the bright Moidore, / And the broad Double-Joe from ayont the sea.
1850		Mthly Cosmopolite (NY) 1 Jan. 2/9: When he left home [...] all she possessed in the world were three sixpences and a pistareen. She can now boast two ‘half-joes’.

2. (US) a Navajo Indian.

1963

Dundes & Porter ‘Amer. Indian Student Sl.’ in AS XXXVIII:4 271: Navaho students are called Nava-Joes or simply Joes.