What does twopence mean?
Twopence is a chiefly historical British word for a coin worth two pence and, by extension, for the sum of two pence. It belongs to the pre-decimal period of British currency, when a penny was worth one penny and a twopence was a separate coin. The word can still occur in older accounts, literary descriptions, or nostalgic references to everyday life before decimalisation. In idiomatic British English, saying that something is not worth twopence means that it has little or no value. The expression should not be confused with penny: penny refers to a single penny, while pence is the established plural form of penny. Tuppence is also used as an alternative spelling. Though twopence is largely historical as a reference to a coin, its appearance in familiar phrases and its connection with a distinctive era of British life give it lasting interest.
nounA former British coin worth two pence; also, by extension, an amount of money equal to two pence.
- A former British coin worth two pence.
- An amount of money equal to two pence.
"She found a worn twopence in the dirt beside the old path."
"The old shopkeeper kept a box of twopence coins behind the counter."
"He said the broken clock was not worth twopence."
When referring to an amount, twopence is normally treated as uncountable; the plural twopences is used for multiple coins or pieces.
"The children collected old twopences from beneath the garden stones."
Before Britain decimalized its currency, there was a coin literally called twopence—and it was worth exactly two pence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does twopence come from?
The word combines two with pence. Pence is the established plural of penny, which derives from Old English penning, the name of an earlier coin, while two comes from Old English twā. In British usage, the compound referred both to a coin of that denomination and to the sum of two pence.
Related word forms
How twopence is actually used
Chiefly a historical British term. Its use may sound deliberately old-fashioned or nostalgic, while the expression comparing something to twopence remains idiomatic in British English.
Easily confused with twopence
A penny is one British penny, whereas a twopence is worth two pence; the plural of penny is pence.
Tuppence is an alternative spelling of the same word rather than a separate denomination.