Noah Sinclair
The penny system of measuring nails is a holdover from the 15th century, when nails were sold by the amount of money it cost to purchase 120 of them. The penny size of a nail is a reference to the length of the nail, with the number of pennies increasing as the length of the nail increases.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Length | 6 inches |
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What You'll Learn
- The abbreviation 'd' comes from the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome, the denarius
- Nails are still sold by penny size in the United States
- Penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4-inch of length added to the nail
- Gauge, a measurement of diameter or width, is also used to describe nails
- Length is now commonly used to describe nails to avoid confusion
The abbreviation 'd' comes from the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome, the denarius
The word 'penny' is typically abbreviated as 'd' in writing. When speaking, most people pronounce the 'd' as 'penny'. While penny size is still commonly used in the United States, it is growing more common for professionals to simply refer to the length of the nail to avoid confusion.
For example, 1-inch nails were sold for 2 pence per 120 nails. That's how 2-penny or 2d came to describe nails that are 1 inch in length. On the high end, six-inch nails were sold for about 60 pence per 120 nails, which is why 60-penny or 60d nails refer to 6-inch nails today. From 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every ¼-inch of length added to the nail. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 per ½-inch of length.
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Nails are still sold by penny size in the United States
However, it is growing more common for professionals to refer to the length of the nail to avoid confusion. Most loose nail packaging prominently displays nail length in inches next to the penny size. Some nail packaging, particularly collated nails, no longer includes penny size at all.
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Penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4-inch of length added to the nail
Nails are commonly referred to by their 'penny size', which is a reference to the cost of purchasing 120 nails in the 15th century. For example, 1-inch nails were sold for 2 pence per 120 nails, so 2-penny or 2d nails are 1 inch in length. The penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4-inch of length added to the nail, up to 16d nails. For example, a 16d nail is one that cost 16 pennies for 120 nails. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 per 1/2-inch of length.
While penny size is still commonly used in the United States, it is growing more common for professionals to refer to the length of the nail to avoid confusion. Some nail packaging, particularly collated nails, no longer includes penny size at all. Instead, 'gauge', a measurement of diameter or width of the nail, is commonly used today.
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Gauge, a measurement of diameter or width, is also used to describe nails
Nail length is usually displayed in inches on packaging, and sometimes the penny size is also included. The penny size refers to the cost of purchasing a set number of nails in the past. For example, 1-inch nails were sold for 2 pence per 120 nails, so they are described as 2-penny or 2d nails. The penny size increases by one to two for every ¼-inch of length added to the nail, up to 16d nails. For nails longer than 20d, the penny size increases by 10 per ½-inch of length.
While penny size is still used in the United States, some professionals prefer to refer to the length of the nail to avoid confusion.
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Length is now commonly used to describe nails to avoid confusion
Nails are commonly described using the term 'penny' to refer to their length. This dates back to the 15th century in England, when nails were sold by the amount of money it cost to purchase 'long 100' nails. At that time, the small monetary unit was the penny, abbreviated by the letter 'd' which was derived from the Roman coinage word 'denarius'.
However, length is now commonly used to describe nails to avoid confusion. While penny size is still commonly used in the United States, it is becoming more common for professionals to refer to the length of the nail instead. This is because the penny system can be confusing, with the penny size increasing by different amounts for different nail lengths. For example, from 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4 inch of length added to the nail. But for 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 per 1/2 inch of length.
Additionally, some nail packaging, particularly collated nails, no longer includes penny size at all. Instead, they may include the 'gauge', which is a measurement of the diameter or width of the nail. This is particularly important for finish and trim work, where smaller diameter nails create less visible holes and require less touch-up. For larger collated nails used for framing and roofing, it is most common to refer to the length and job type, such as '3-1/2 framing nails'.
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Frequently asked questions
A 6 penny nail is a nail that would have cost 6 pennies for 120 nails.
In the 15th Century in England, nails were sold by the amount of money it cost to purchase 120 nails.
A 6 penny nail is 1 inch in length.
The abbreviation for penny is 'd', which is a reference to the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome, the denarius.
Yes, while it is growing more common for professionals to refer to the length of the nail, the term 'penny' is still used in the United States.
