Forms: see TWO and PENNY A. 2; also 6–7 tuppens, 7–9 tuppence, 8–9 Sc. tipponce.
1. A sum of money equal to two pennies.
† Penny of twopence = sense 2: see PENNY 3.
1477. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 183/1. The Grotes, Pens of two Pens, and Pens, of this Reame.
1514. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 144. To the beddell of the seid Gilde Tuppens.
1641. Sc. Acts Chas. I. (1817), V. 510/1. They might sell at tuppens a groatt & Sexpens … They micht sell … the deirest for a tippens.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), I. 299. They were accosted by several Indians … and one of them undertook to carry them over … at two-pence per head.
1785. Burns, Holy Fair, vii. A greedy glowr Black Bonnet throws, An’ we maun draw our tippence.
1812. H. & J. Smith, Rej. Addr., Theatre, 6. Boys who long linger at the gallery-door, With pence twice five—they want but twopence more.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. ii. What can you expect for tuppence?
1872. Ruskin, Fors Clav. (1896), I. xix. 376. Work that will pay no dividend on their twopences.
2. An English silver coin of the value of two pennies: = HALF-GROAT (since 1662 coined only as Maundy money). b. A copper coin of this value issued in the reign of George III.
c. 1450. Mankind, 457, in Macro Plays, 17. He louyth no grotis, nor pens or to-pens.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., IV. iii. 55. Like gilt two-pences.
1653. Walton, Angler, xii. 231. A piece of reed … as big about as the compass of a two pence.
1684. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. (ed. 15), 217. To scatter new-coyned two-pences in the … places where the King passes.
1712. Mus. Thoresby (1713), 361. A very fair Canterbury Twopence [temp. Hen. VIII.].
1818. Scott, Br. Lamm., xxxv. A wheen silver tippences to the poor folk. Ibid. (1820), Lett. to J. Ballantyne, 28 March, in Lockhart. I care not a bent twopence about their quarrels.
3. As type of a very small amount: now esp. in phr. (not) to care twopence.
1691. Baxter, Repl. Beverley, 2. All our righteousness is not worth two-pence.
a. 1744. Bramston, Art Politicks, 193. He cares not two-pence for the land-tax bill.
1752. Foote, Taste, I. (1781), 18. It does not signify Two Pence.
1894. G. W. Appleton, Co-Respondent, I. 65. He asked me if you really cared twopence for Kate.
b. fig. Applied to a person of very little worth.
1866. Sartoris, Week in French Country Ho. (1902), 213. She was a wretched twopence of a woman.
4. Twopence halfpenny: a sum of money equal to two pennies and a halfpenny. Also attrib.
In attrib. use twopenny-halfpenny is more usual (see after next word), but in Sc. twopence-halfpenny is regular when the precise sum is intended, as in a twopence-halfpenny stamp.
16[?]. Black Bk. Admiralty (Rolls), I. 13. Each sea boy shall have twopence halfpenny per diem.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, xl. Twopence-halfpenny for your thoughts.
1890. Le Gallienne, G. Meredith, 155. He does not weave two-pence halfpenny mysteries.
5. Herb twopence: name given by Turner to the plant Lysimachia Nummularia, also called twopenny grass (see next, 3) or MONEYWORT, from its pairs of rounded leaves.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, H ij. Centimorbia otherwise called Nummularia … may be called in englishe Herbe .ij. pence or two penigrasse because it hath two and two leaues standyng together of ech syde of the stalke lyke pence.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. clxxxix. 505. Nummularia … herbe Two pence, and Two pennie grasse.
1756. Watson, in Phil. Trans., XLIX. 815. The Nummularia, Moneywort, or Herb Twopence.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 238. Creeping Loosestrife, Moneywort, or Herb-Twopence.
6. attrib. (= next, 1, 2) and Comb.
1762. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, V. xxxix. ’Tis not two-pence matter.
1827. Scott, Two Drovers, ii. Robin … proceeded to light his pipe, and call for a pint of twopenny. ‘We have no twopence ale,’ answered … the landlord.
1889. Stevenson, Lett. to S. Colvin, 2 Dec. If we only had twopenceworth of wind.
