Forms: 6 stufer, stuver, styfer, stever, 6–8 styver, 8 stuyver, 9 stuiver, 6– stiver. [a. Du. stuiver, (M)LG. stüver, whence mod.G. stüber, Da. styver, Sw. styfver. Of obscure origin: etymologists connect it with LG. stūf stumpy, cut short.]
1. A small coin (originally silver) of the Low Countries; in present use applied to the nickel piece of 5 cents of the Netherlands (one-twentieth of a florin or gulden, or about a penny English).
1502. in Lett. & Papers Rich. III. & Hen. VII. (Rolls), II. 111. The crowne … is valued at xxxvti stufers and an di. and xij. grotes sterlinge maketh only xxxti stufers.
1527. E. Lee, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. III. II. 94. Doble ducats, single ducats,… stufers, and black monaye.
1535. Joye, Apol. Tindale, 22. The printer came to me agen and offred me ij stuuers and an halfe.
1543. Recorde, Gr. Artes, K iij b. A single stiuer is 1 d, ob, q. The double stiuer is 3 d, q.
1547. Boorde, Introd. Knowl., xi. (1870), 153. A gelder areris is worth .xxiii. steuers: .xxiii. steuers is worth .iii. s.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 329/2. Fortie stiuers of Dutch coyne, which maketh a Noble of our monie: or a summe much thereabouts.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), II. I. 162. Some of them keep Tea-houses, where for a Stiver, a Man has near a Pint of Tea.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitl. Club), 133. A stiver is rather more than our penny.
1838. Murray’s Handbk. N. Germ., 4. The towing horse is ridden by a lad … who receives a few cents at each stage; and is well paid with a stiver.
1839. W. Chambers, Tour Holland, etc. (ed. 2), 30/1. The [school] fee is one cent a-day, or the fifth part of a stiver, which is less than an English farthing.
2. Used (like penny) as a type of a coin of small value, or of a small amount of money; occas. a small quantity of anything, a ‘bit.’ Not a stiver = nothing.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, I. ii. Set him free And you shall have your money to a Stiver.
1766. Goldsm., Vic. W., xxxi. As for that lady’s fortune, sir, you shall never touch a single stiver of it.
1822. Byron, Werner, I. i. 409. He has not a stiver.
1842. Browning, Pied Piper, x. With him I proved no bargain-driver, With you, don’t think I’ll bate a stiver!
1872. Calverley, Fly Leaves, 38. I come,… nor care a stiver; For trades are brisk and trades are slow, But mine goes on for ever.
1883. Olive Schreiner, Afr. Farm, I. ix. That boy Waldo … has not done a stiver of work all day.
1909. D. Hannay, in Blackw. Mag., Nov., 672/1. They didn’t care a stiver if my head was blown off.
3. attrib. and Comb., as † stiver style; † stiver cramped a., short of money.
1649. J. Jephson, in Lovelace’s Lucasta, To Author a 4 b. Though som thy prayse in rich stiles sing, I may In stiver stile write Love as well as they.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., Stiver cramped, needy, wanting money.
Hence Stiverless a., without a stiver; penniless.
1839. J. P. Kennedy, Rob of Bowl, xvii. (1860), 208. You go abroad unattended, stiverless.
