cent vs. penny

coindaughter

When I snobbily corrected my 11-year-old son for calling that coin a "penny," he noted that it indeed it says "cent" on it, but the 5-cent piece also says cents, and not "nickel," so why the heck can't we call it a penny if nickels can be called nickels?

I told him I didn't know and I'd ask you guys.

lathmach

The term cent and penny are interchangeable with regards to this coin denomination, through common usage of the term.
No telling how long the "cent" has been referred to as "penny", but probably since 1793.
Even the mint calls them penny or pennies in their advertising.

Ray

Pushkin

Technically,

I believe "penny" is the proper term for the old copper coin in Great Britain that was 1/12 of a schilling and is now the term for the copper coin that is 1/100 of a pound in the newer British decimal system of coinage (adopted in 1971). By popular usage, penny and cent have become interchangeable in the US.

Interesting that nickel was derived from a nick - which referred to the first small US Cents (FEs and IHCs to 1864).

BigE

I agree with pushkin, cent is the the denominator for 1 out of 100, penny is an english term for basically the same thing, and nickel is a term referring to what the compisition of the five penny coin is-----------BigE

ursabear

I bet LordM would know the whole story, but yes, Penny is a derivative from the small unit of English coinage before the end of LSD coinage.

Placid

Penny is fine to say. People can be so finiky.
Penny candy,pennies from heaven, penny loafers,a penny for your thought's.

Keyrock

When I started collecting about 25 years or so ago, an old time collector corrected me every time I said penny. He stated the Brits have the penny, farthing, pence etc... and the Americans have the cent. Our system is based on a the decimal system and the two are not equivalent. Additionally he pointed out that is said "ONE CENT" not "ONE PENNY"

Nevertheless, the terms are interchangable these days. Just as long as the mint doesn't refer to them as the golden pennies we will be ok !!

Rich

Cam40

I,ve always referred to as pennys,like everyone else.UNTIL,like Keyrock points out,I or someone was corrected here on the forums as to the proper term for `pennys`.
I guess it all depends on if your a half-way serious coin collector or..are just like`everyone else`(non-coin collectors) as to what you call the smallest US denomination coin with Lincoln on it thingy.

Its penny if talking to `normal people`.But its CENT when disscussion is with other collectors.

Russ

If one collects them, it's a "cent". For the rest of us, they're just pennies.

Russ, NCNE

MartyF

The following dictionary query should rectify the definition:

Definition of "Penny"

BigE

Marty,nice link, I just installed over 2000 16 penny nails------------------------------------------BigE

coindaughter

Thanks for the fun tidbits, everyone!

FC57Coins

And to add to the confusion - when cupro-nickel "cents" came out in 1859, they were called nickels!

Frank

spinaker2000

If you collect classic coins, Large cents and Half cents (US) and Large Pennys and Half Pennys (British) There's a difference. Otherwise, who really cares whatcha call'em.

zenny

sometimes i seem to have no cents, even if i've got quite a few pennies around.

oldcameoproofsguy

I'll just stick to my collection of two bits, thank you.

dorkkarl

it says so right on the coin - they are CENTS! unless they happen to be from heaven.......

K S

Gemini

I am going to put on my cent loafers and go out to buy some pumpercent bread.
I'm so confused...

dorkkarl

e-z test:

which would you say: "two-cent coin" or "two-penny coin"?
which would you say: "three-cent silver" or "three-penny silver"?
which would you say: "three-cent nickel" or "three-penny nickel"?
which would you say: "i cent the payment yesterday" or "i penny the payment yesterday"?

i rest my case.

K S

nwcs

<<Just as long as the mint doesn't refer to them as the golden pennies we will be ok >>

Oh, that is so funny! I'm surprised they haven't done that yet! Trademark the idea and sell it to them.

WilliamGibbs

I've always found it interesting that we use the nickname "nickel" for the copper-nickel 5-cent coin when the composition is 75% copper and 25% nickel. If we base the coin's nickname on the main ingredient, we should be calling it a "copper" rather than a "nickel." However, even though the nickel portion of the alloy is less than the copper portion, the nickel's color dominates, thus the nickname we all know.

For formal writing and for accuracy's sake, we use cent and 5-cent coin rather than penny and nickel.

William T. Gibbs
News Editor
Coin World

itsnotjustme

We could call them coppers, but now they'd be zincs. Of course, the "ncs" is much too hard to pronounce, so people slip back to penny.

Does anyone have a nice pair of centloafers?

dorkkarl

of course, on poker night, it would sound funny to say "cent-ante" rather than "penny-ante".

uh , & yeah, we don't play for very high stakes. no "dollar-ante" for we peons.....

K S