What does fourpenny mean?
Fourpenny is a historical English term tied to the old pre-decimal currency of Britain. As a noun it denoted a coin worth four pence — known as a groat — which circulated in various forms for centuries before decimalisation rendered it obsolete. More durably, fourpenny survives as an adjective in the world of woodworking, where nails are still traditionally sized by an old pricing convention: a 'fourpenny nail,' abbreviated 4d, was once sold at four pence per hundred, and higher penny values correspond to progressively longer nails. The word also appears in older British slang, notably the 'fourpenny one,' a colloquial term for a punch. Today fourpenny is encountered chiefly by coin collectors, historians, and craftspeople working with traditional nail sizes, making it a small but enduring relic of how money once shaped everyday language and commerce.
A former British coin worth four pence; the groat.
"Among his grandfather's coins was a Victorian fourpenny in fine condition."
Refers to pre-decimal currency; the groat ceased general circulation in the 19th century.
Costing or valued at four pence; especially describing a nail sized under the traditional penny-per-hundred system.
"Use fourpenny nails for attaching the battens to the wall."
The abbreviation '4d' is still used in the nail trade; the number indicates the old price per hundred, correlating with nail length.
Used when referring to multiple fourpenny coins; the adjectival use has no plural form.
"The hoard contained several battered fourpences from the reign of Victoria."
In old British slang, a 'fourpenny one' meant a blow with the fist — literally knocking someone out for the price of a pint.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fourpenny
The word derives from 'four' plus 'penny,' combining the Old English numeral with 'pening,' the Old English word for a penny coin. It belongs to the same family as other compound currency terms such as twopenny, threepenny, and halfpenny, all formed on the same pattern in medieval and early modern England. The nail-sizing usage grew out of the medieval practice of pricing nails by the long hundred, so that a nail costing four pence per hundred became known as a fourpenny nail.
Related word forms
How fourpenny is actually used
Now largely historical and of interest mainly to collectors, historians, and traditional woodworkers. The noun refers to pre-decimal currency; in Britain's decimal system (1971 onward) the word survives only in historical contexts. The nail sizing sense persists among woodworkers using the traditional 'penny' (abbreviated 'd') system, where larger penny values indicate longer nails.
Easily confused with fourpenny
Sixpence was the coin worth six old pence, whereas fourpenny refers to the four-penny value (the groat) or nails priced at four pence.