View source for Penny, pence, pennies

The word '''penny''' (a small coin) has two plural forms.  One, '''pennies''', is regular.  The other is not â€“ '''pence'''.  As a rule of thumb, use the latter when you are giving a precise cost.  When you are talking about the coins in general, use '''pennies''' â€“ e.g. â€œI have a pocket full of '''pennies'''â€ but â€œThe postage is twenty '''pence'''.â€

The position is sometimes complicated by the fact that those who learnt to handle money before the change to decimal coinage (see '''pounds''', '''shillings''' and '''pence''') often use a form of plural belonging to the old system.  This is the word '''penny''' added as a suffix to various numbers.  A coin valued at just over 1p in modern terms was called a '''threepenny''', pronounced (and sometimes written) as â€˜thruppennyâ€™ (in the North of England).  The price was usually pronounced â€˜thruppenceâ€™.  We also had things, be they ice creams, bus rides or cinema tickets called '''tuppenny''' (more formally '''twopenny'''), and in derogatory mood we could call something '''tuppenny-halfpenny''', meaning â€˜very cheapâ€™.  The halfpenny itself was sometimes written '''haâ€™penny'''.  

In slang, if a man gave another a '''fourpenny one''', it meant â€˜hit him very hardâ€™.  There has not been a fourpenny coin for a long time.  In the olden days, there was one, called a '''groat'''.