Fuddyduddy1952
Elite Member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2022
- Messages
- 3,578
- Tractor
- john deere
Nails. What does "penny" mean?
THE PENNY SYSTEM
Understanding the penny nail requires a look back to England in the late Middle Ages. In the 1400s, the price of 120 nails was measured in pennies, or “pence.” Like today, larger nails sold for higher prices.
The penny number is simply the price of 120 nails of a given length in historic England. Though the exact timing and circumstances are lost to history, what started as simple, standard pricing for various lengths of hand-forged nails became a naming convention that would last for more than 500 years and counting.
On the low end, 1-inch nails were sold for 2 pence per 120 nails. That’s how 2-penny or 2d came to describe nails that are 1 inch in length. On the high end, six-inch nails were sold for about 60 pence per 120 nails, which is why 60-penny or 60d nails refer to 6-inch nails today.
From 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every ¼-inch of length added to the nail. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 per ½-inch of length. Here is a handy chart for reference – if you’re new to penny sizes, you can print it out and place it on your toolbox.
WHAT DOES THE “D” MEAN?
In writing, the word “penny” is typically abbreviated as “d.” This is a reference to the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome, the denarius. When speaking, most people pronounce the “d” as “penny.”
THE PENNY SYSTEM
Understanding the penny nail requires a look back to England in the late Middle Ages. In the 1400s, the price of 120 nails was measured in pennies, or “pence.” Like today, larger nails sold for higher prices.
The penny number is simply the price of 120 nails of a given length in historic England. Though the exact timing and circumstances are lost to history, what started as simple, standard pricing for various lengths of hand-forged nails became a naming convention that would last for more than 500 years and counting.
On the low end, 1-inch nails were sold for 2 pence per 120 nails. That’s how 2-penny or 2d came to describe nails that are 1 inch in length. On the high end, six-inch nails were sold for about 60 pence per 120 nails, which is why 60-penny or 60d nails refer to 6-inch nails today.
From 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every ¼-inch of length added to the nail. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 per ½-inch of length. Here is a handy chart for reference – if you’re new to penny sizes, you can print it out and place it on your toolbox.
WHAT DOES THE “D” MEAN?
In writing, the word “penny” is typically abbreviated as “d.” This is a reference to the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome, the denarius. When speaking, most people pronounce the “d” as “penny.”