[mixmastamyk]

Real (pronounced rey-al, as in royal) is a common historical currency name from the Iberian peninsula, which has spread to other areas.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real

[soneca]

But was also a natural name from "URV", which means Real Unity of Value - using 'real' as something real.

Maybe the irony is more that URV was a virtual/fake currency named "real".

[schoen]

A cute thing is how Portuguese "real" has two different etymologies, one from Latin regalis 'royal' (from rex 'king'), and one from Latin realis 'actual' (from res 'thing'). That can produce some funny jokes (like a title mentioned elsewhere in this thread by motobol, "A real história do Real").