Why Does The U.S. Mint Call It A "Penny?"

It may say "Dime" on the coin, but to be specific, Congress never passed legislation authorizing a "Dime" denomination, regardless of the term struck on coinage. The Coinage Act of 1792 authorized the mintage of a "disme" , one tenth the silver weight and value of a dollar.

I suppose we could argue this all day, but this is what the governing body that striles the coins authorized and still abides by. But, like many, technically right or not, I still use the common terms that most recognize....penny, nickel and dime.
Guy~

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I admit, I call it a penny and dont think of our change in 'cent' but penny, nickel, dime. not 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent.

I have never understood why people get a bee in the bonnet when they are called that...they know what I mean...seems a bit nitpicky...

 

I know a girl with bright red hair, can ya guess what her name is?





Penny. I think her parents should have called her "cent."

 

Anybody here collect Large Pennies or Half Pennies?

 

no

 

What you don't seem to understand is, the meaning of a word is not a fixed thing set in stone. It can change based on the way people use it. As an illustration of that, there are many words that mean compelte different things in American English as they do in British English. After a while, as the convention changes and people continue to use a certain way, it takes on that meaning.

People have been calling a 1 cent coin a "penny" for more than 200 years. The convention stuck. In the US, that is what the word "penny" has come to mean. The word has changed its meaning... it is not a case of a word continuously used incorrectly but a case of the conventional meaning of the word changing over time.

"Cent" is a correct term for a US coin worth 1/100 of a dollar. But based on the common convention, so is penny. Both terms are correct, based on the common usage. A word means what it does because how it is used... if a small minority use a word a certain way, you can argue that it is being used incorrectly... but the fact is the majority of American English speakers use the word penny and you can't argue that the usage of "penny" is not conventional... and conventional equals correct if the convention holds for long enough of a time. As this convention has held for more than 200 years now, I'd say it's safe to say the convention has been firmly established. Like it or not, it's both a "cent" and a "penny" now. Feel free to use "cent" if you like but deal with the fact that "penny" is also correct. As someone has already pointed out, even the US Mint uses the word penny now.

As for the "official" name being the cent, please also note that "official" and "correct" do not necessarily mean the same thing. For example the "Gateway Arch" is the common name for what's officially called the "Jefferson National Expansion Monument" but I doubt many would argue that "Gateway Arch" is an incorrect name, just because it's not official. (I also doubt that anyone but a park ranger would have any idea what you're talking about if you asked where the "Jefferson National Expansion Monument" is, even in St. Louis lol...)

 

By that reasoning, because many people butcher the English language the incorrect spelling or usage of words should become "correct".

Examples:

Your and You're - "I think your right." "Is that you're car parked outside?" "You're" is the contraction of you are. "Your" is the possessive form of you.

Alot or Allot - "I bought alot of coins." "That coin has allot of scratches." There is no such word as alot. "Allot" means to distribute or parcel out. The correct 'word' in this instance is "a lot".

Were and Where - "Were is the mintmark on a Buffalo nickel?" "Those where the worst-looking Morgan dollars I ever saw." I shouldn't have to point out the misuse of these words.

To and Too - "That coin is priced to high." "I mailed that book too you." These words are often used interchangeably.

We all know what the writer means when we read sentences like the above examples. Should we rewrite our dictionaries and grammar books to make the misuse of these words correct?

 

I dont see that a being same, in your case...people are just misusing words that have a completely different meaning other than how they are using them...when people make the mistake you mention above it shows a fundamental lack of understanding of the English language and what the words mean. When someone uses the word penny...they are using an accepted word for 1 cent, or an alternative word that is largely understood by all in a society to mean 1 cent...and all know the value of the coin...they know penny = 1 cent 1/100 of a dollar. People who make the mistakes above dont know they are using the wrong word and are lacking a basic grasp of the english language.

And yes...sometimes new words and new meanings and usages for words end up in a dictionary...it happens quite often. It happen with the penny. Both of the dictionaries I have define a penny as a common word for the US 1 cent (as well as other nations)

This is how american heritage defines it: the United States and Canada, the coin that is worth one cent. (this is one of several definitions of the word penny, in this case the first one listed)

Its true that all words have origins and the word penny probably has a loooong history as being a low denomination in a lot of places and version of the word are many: pening, penig, panninggaz penningr, pänning, panning, pennic, pfenning, pfennig.

Its always a low denomination coin like our own penny. I simply dont think it matters as penny and 1 cent in the US is interchangeable regardless of the most strict definition of what the government designates. Half dollar, 50 cent piece Either way is fine...one is the unit, the other a common name for the coinage

 

Right, except it has not always been a low denomination piece: In its early years, the penny, pfennig (etc.; other words for the piece are based on the Latin denarius) was a silver coin used for trade. OK, really low value coins were not actually needed in those years ...

Christian

 

I agree. However, I think it is more acceptable in the case of the layperson. Coin collectors, coin dealers, the Mint, etc. (should) have a better understanding of the terms and their proper usage.

Being a civil engineer and a home inspector, being a former homebuilder andhaving been on numerous construction projects I know the difference between a beam (horizontal structural component) and a column (vertical structural component). I don't expect Joe Sixpack to know the difference between a beam and a column but I cringe when I hear a fellow engineer, home inspector or construction foreman call a column a beam.

Cent vs. Penny. I don't lose any sleep over it. Call it what you want. There are bigger battles to fight.

 

well, I'll go with the dictionary (and common sense) that says its a correct term to use for a one cent in the US regardless of who you are...and not at all incorrect usage of the word as it is defined in modern times...

signed
Joe Sixpack

 

it's

:goof:

Just kidding!

 

when i hear the word "penny", i think of a little kid talking about coins and not knowing what they are saying. when i hear the word cent i think of a coin dealer that's knowing what he is talking about. thats why i do not use the word penny. cent is much more advanced.

 

Hobo:
You should get a job editing the listings on ebay!

 

When I read this statement, I think of male bovine feces...I do not think of 'Bull crap'...male Bovine feces is much more advanced

 

Not to confuse the issue, but many of the old folks where I'm from quite often refer to one cent coins as "coppers".

 

Isn't the term "buck" to be outlawed as well? By the way, in Germany many people used to call the 10 pf coin a "groschen", and in the Netherlands a 5 ct coin was a "stuiver", and so on. And I am not aware of any Denominational Correctness Committee that would have been against them, hehe.

If I came across such words in official legal use (some act, directive, etc.), now that I would find strange. But elsewhere? Please. On the contrary, popular colloquial terms for coins is something I find very interesting ...

Christian

 

Never thought of that one. True. I don't know anyone named CENT but sure have met girls named PENNY.
Now as to usage of speach, ifa you go to Melrose Parka area in Illinoisy youda meets a lot of peoples thata tella you if youa donta like the way I talks, justa watch for the biga black sedan ona your way home.

 

you sure do have an open mind to what other people think.

 

While I say cent - I still think penny. As far as I am concerned if it good enough for a book, by some guy named Sheldon, it is good enough for me. And yes he used it in articles. Read the book - I believe he knew what he was talking about also. Okay - that was my penny worth of thoughts.