Not a lot. By inflation calculations, its purchasing power was about the same as today's quarter -- but price patterns were different then, with food and clothing relatively more expensive, and wages relatively lower. I've read that "ten-penny" nails were called that because you'd pay ten pennies for a hundred of them. But that would've been actual British pennies, not cents, and it might also have been a "great hundred", or 120 nails.
I don't think so -- 10d nails are around 66/pound (I just looked it up), which would make them a bit under 4.5dwt each. The "nails called according to their 15th-century price (in pence) per hundred/long-hundred" idea is pretty widespread, and I haven't found anything contradicting it prior to your post here. Are you sure you've got it right?
I believe you are right Jeff. I tried to remember what I was told 70 plus years ago. Thanks for the correction.
