What does threepenny mean?
Threepenny is an old-fashioned English word with two closely related uses. As an adjective, it means costing three pence, as in “a threepenny stamp.” As a noun, it can mean a coin worth three pence, especially the British threepenny bit, a familiar old twelve-sided coin. In modern English, the amount is normally written as one word, threepence, while threepenny survives chiefly in historical, literary, or numismatic contexts. The word can suggest not merely a price but the smallness of the sum: a threepenny ticket once represented an inexpensive everyday purchase rather than a substantial expense. Its long history makes it useful when reading older texts, discussing pre-decimal currency, or collecting coins. It should not be confused with threepence: threepenny describes a price or names a coin, whereas threepence names the amount of money itself.
Costing or worth three pence.
"She bought a threepenny stamp and used it to post the letter."
Now chiefly historical or literary, though still familiar in discussions of former British currency.
A former British coin worth three pence, especially the coin called the threepenny bit.
"My grandmother kept an old silver threepenny in her coin collection."
Chiefly historical and numismatic.
The conventional plural for the historical coin is threepennies.
"The collection included several British threepennies."
The old British threepenny bit had twelve sides—one for each month of the year.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does threepenny come from?
Threepenny is an English compound of three and penny. The penny developed in Old English and was later influenced in form by Anglo-Norman French pennois; threepenny emerged in early modern English as a transparent compound denoting a value of three pence. Its relatives pennyworth, pennywise, and pennyroyal preserve the same penny element through different semantic developments.
Related word forms
How threepenny is actually used
The word is now chiefly historical, literary, or numismatic. In modern English, the amount of money is normally called threepence.
Easily confused with threepenny
Threepenny describes something costing three pence or names a coin worth that amount, whereas threepence names the amount of money itself.