And how did 'd' become the abbreviation for penny?
The 'denarius' was an
old Roman coin and as the centuries passed, the
abbreviation 'd' eventually became associated with the old British penny.
What about the expression "10 penny nails"?
Well a LONG time ago, this was
the cost of buying 100 of these nails. Yes, way back then you could buy 100
10 penny nails for 10 cents OR 100
16 penny nails for 16 cents, etc. !!
Times sure have changed !