Definition

Noun: 1. A former British coin: A small coin of the United Kingdom, made of cupronickel (an alloy of copper and nickel), that was worth three old pence (3d) in the pre-decimal currency system. It was in circulation until decimalisation in 1971.

Usage and Examples

• As a specific coin:

  • My grandfather gave me an old threepence from his collection.
  • The threepence, or "thruppeny bit," was a distinctive twelve-sided coin.

• Referring to a value or amount:

  • In those days, a loaf of bread might have cost threepence.
  • She saved every threepence she could find.

Advanced Usage

• Historical and Numismatic Context: The term is primarily used in historical discussions, in literature set in the past, or by coin collectors (numismatists).
  • The value of a Victorian threepence has increased significantly for collectors.

Variants and Related Words

• Thruppence / Thruppenny: Informal or dialectal variants of the same word.
• Threepenny (adjective): Describing something costing or worth threepence.
  • a threepenny bit (another name for the coin itself).

Synonyms

• Three pence: A more descriptive phrase for the same amount.
• Thruppeny bit: A common colloquial name for the coin.

Notes on Meaning

• This word refers specifically to the coin itself, not just the abstract value. The value "three pence" could be made from other coins (e.g., three separate penny coins), but a was a single, specific coin.
• It is an obsolete term in everyday currency since the UK decimalised its money, but it remains in use for historical reference.

Noun

1. former cupronickel coin of the United Kingdom equal to three pennies