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.
Hereâs the thing⦠I donât give a ten-penny fuck about your moral conundrum, you meat-headed shit-sack⦠Thatâs more or less the thing.
- Bill the Butcher, Gangs of New York