What does sixpenny mean?
Sixpenny is an old-fashioned word that normally functions as an adjective: something described as sixpenny cost six pence, or the equivalent of six old British pennies. It can evoke inexpensive newspapers, cheap sweets, inexpensive stamps, or other modest-priced goods, often with a nostalgic historical atmosphere. The expression “sixpenny bit” is especially associated with the small British coin that once circulated as legal tender. As a noun, “sixpenny” can also refer to that former coin, though the word is uncommon in modern speech. Before Britain adopted decimal currency in 1971, sixpence was a meaningful small sum, so the word carries historical associations with inexpensive everyday purchases and an earlier commercial world.
Having a price of six old pence.
"The shop window displayed sixpenny postcards."
Chiefly historical or nostalgic in modern usage.
A former British coin worth six pence.
"He placed the worn sixpenny in a display case."
Now uncommon; the older name “sixpenny bit” is often used when referring to the coin.
The plural is uncommon because the noun itself is largely obsolete.
"Several sixpennies appeared in the auction catalogue."
Before decimal currency, a sixpenny coin could buy a newspaper—making it an early example of pocket-sized buying power.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sixpenny come from?
The word was formed in English by combining “six” with the noun “penny,” with “penny” changing to “penny” in the compound according to the usual pattern of British coin names. It belongs to a family of English monetary terms including “threepenny,” “fourpenny,” and “sixpence.” “Penny” itself derives from Old English penning, an Anglo-Saxon coin, while “six” comes ultimately from Latin sex.
Related word forms
How sixpenny is actually used
The adjective is now chiefly historical or nostalgic, especially in references to inexpensive goods from an earlier period. As a noun, “sixpenny” is largely obsolete, though “sixpenny bit” remains a familiar historical expression.
Easily confused with sixpenny
Sixpence is the amount of money equal to six old pence, while sixpenny is usually an adjective meaning that something costs sixpence.