archaic an item of little value, relating back to 'pennies' having a value equal to of 1/5,000th of an ounce of
gold in
English and
American coinage of the 19th Century. Approximately $3 USD in 2018.
Here’s the thing… I don’t give a ten-penny fuck about your moral conundrum, you
meat-headed shit-
sack… That’s more or less the thing.
-
Bill the Butcher, Gangs of New York