Noah Sinclair
Nails are typically designated by their length, but in the United States, they are also designated by their penny size, written with a number and the abbreviation 'd' for penny. For example, 10d refers to a ten-penny nail. The d in penny nails stands for denarius, a Roman coin similar to a penny. The term penny to refer to the price of a hundred nails can be traced back to Old England.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What does 'D' stand for? | Denarius, a Roman coin similar to a penny |
| Why is it used for nails? | It was the abbreviation for the monetary penny in the UK before decimalisation |
| What does 'penny' refer to? | The price for a hundred nails in 15th-century England |
| What does the 'D' indicate? | The number of pennies required to purchase 100 nails of a given length |
| How is it used? | A larger number indicates a longer nail |
| What is the formula? | From 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4-inch of length added to the nail |
| What about nails longer than 16d? | The penny size increases by 10 per 1/2-inch of length |
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What You'll Learn
- The 'd' in penny nails stands for 'denarius', a Roman coin
- The penny weight of a nail refers to the price for 100 nails in 15th-century England
- The penny system was used in England until the 20th century
- Nails are now sold by length, but also by number followed by 'd'
- The penny size of a nail indicates its length and diameter
The 'd' in penny nails stands for 'denarius', a Roman coin
The letter "d" in penny nails stands for "denarius", a Roman coin. The term "penny" (plural pence), denoted by a small "d" after the nail's size, can be traced back to Old England, where it was used to describe the price of a hundred nails. The size of the nails determined how many nails a buyer would receive for a specific amount of money.
In the 15th century, the price of 100 or 120 nails was measured in pennies or pence. The larger the nail, the more pennies were required to purchase 100 of them. For instance, one hundred 2-inch nails would cost six pennies (six pence in England), so the 2-inch nails eventually became known as six-penny nails, written as 6d.
The "d" in penny nails is a leftover term from the old Roman "penny" called the denarius. The Romans used the term denarius (plural denarii) to denote the lowest value of the librae, solidi, and denarii (pounds, shillings, and pence) currency denominations. The "d" is an abbreviation for denarius, a Roman coin similar to a penny, and it was also the abbreviation for the monetary penny in the United Kingdom before decimalisation.
The denarius was the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome. The smallest denomination issued at the time was the 'as' (plural asses), but since the as's value was only 1/10 of a denarius, asses weren't used as often to buy nails.
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The penny weight of a nail refers to the price for 100 nails in 15th-century England
The 'd' at the end of the nail size is a term left over from the old Roman 'penny' called the denarius. The Romans used the term denarius (plural denarii) to denote the lowest value of the librae, solidi, and denarii (pounds, shillings, and pence) currency denominations. The denarius was a Roman coin similar to a penny and was also the name for an English penny.
The penny weight/length is not the same for all nails and is not uniformly employed by all manufacturers. For example, a hundred 2-inch nails would cost six pennies (six pence in England), so the 2-inch nails eventually became known as six-penny nails, written as 6d. Eight-penny nails are larger (2.5" long) and so they cost more per hundred – eight pennies instead of six. The penny number is simply the price of 120 nails of a given length in historic England.
Today, the penny weight is often, and incorrectly, used to refer to the length of a nail. Each 1d (penny) is assumed to be an increase of 1/4" of length up to a 16d (3 1/2"). After 16d, nails jump to 20d (4") and increase in length by 1/2" by multiples of 10. Nails longer than 6" are referred to as "spikes" and are identified by their length.
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The penny system was used in England until the 20th century
The letter "d" in penny nails is an abbreviation for "denarius", a Roman coin similar to a penny. This was the abbreviation for the monetary penny in the United Kingdom before decimalisation. The penny system of measuring nail sizes originated in England in the 15th century, when the price of 100 or 120 nails was measured in pennies or "pence". The larger the nail, the more pennies were required to purchase 100 of them. So, for example, 100 2-inch nails would have cost six pennies, and thus became known as six-penny nails, written as 6d. The system remained in use in England until the 20th century but is now obsolete there. Nails are still designated in penny sizes in the United States, and in Canada, they are specified by type and length and are manufactured to Imperial dimensions.
The penny system was also used to indicate nail length. From 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4 inch of length added to the nail. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 for every 1/2 inch of length added. The penny system was a way to standardise pricing for nails of different lengths. However, it is important to note that the penny weight or length is not the same for all nails. For example, bulk "sinker" nails and many gun nails do not follow the penny weight system.
The persistence of the "d" designation in the penny system is intriguing. While the exact reason may be unclear, it is speculated that the "d" is a leftover term from the old Roman "penny" called the denarius. The denarius was the lowest value of the Roman currency denominations of librae, solidi, and denarii (equivalent to pounds, shillings, and pence). The association between the denarius and nails may have arisen when nails were hand-forged one at a time.
The penny system of measuring nail sizes remained in use in England for a significant period, even as the country transitioned through different historical eras. It survived through the late Middle Ages, a time when hand-forging techniques were employed to create nails. The system's longevity can be attributed to its effectiveness in standardising nail sizes and prices, making it a convenient and widely understood convention for carpenters, craftsmen, and traders alike.
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Nails are now sold by length, but also by number followed by 'd'
Nails are now sold by length, but also by number followed by a "d", which is an abbreviation for "denarius", a Roman coin similar to a penny. This was the abbreviation for the monetary penny in the United Kingdom before decimalisation. The "d" is associated with a Roman coin called the denarius, which was also the name for an English penny. The term 'penny' (plural pence) denoted with a small 'd' after the nail's size, can be traced to Old England, where it was used to describe the price of a hundred nails. The size of the nails determined how many nails a buyer would receive for their money.
The penny weight of a nail refers to the price for a hundred nails in 15th-century England. The larger the nail, the more "pennies" were required to purchase 100 of them. Today, the penny weight is often, and incorrectly, used to refer to the length of a nail. The symbol for penny weight is "d", from the Latin word "denarius", which roughly translates as "coin" (penny). A 2d (penny) common nail is 1" long. Each 1d (penny) is assumed to be an increase of 1/4" in length up to 16d (3 1/2"). After 16d, nails jump to 20d (4") and increase in length by 1/2" by multiples of 10 (20d, 30d, 40d, etc.). Nails longer than 6" are referred to as "spikes" and are identified by their length.
The penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4-inch of length added to the nail, from 2d to 16d nails. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 for every 1/2-inch of length. The word "penny" is typically abbreviated as "d" and is a reference to the Latin name of the most common silver coin used in ancient Rome, the denarius. While penny size is still used in the United States, professionals increasingly refer to the length of the nail to avoid confusion. Most loose nail packaging displays the nail length in inches next to the penny size. Some nail packaging, particularly collated nails, no longer includes penny size.
The penny weight/length is not the same for all nails and is not uniformly employed by all manufacturers. To avoid confusion, it is best to refer to a nail by its length and diameter. For example, nails under 1+1/4 inches, often called brads, are sold mostly in small packages with only a length designation or with length and wire gauge designations.
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The penny size of a nail indicates its length and diameter
The penny size of a nail, denoted by a "d", indicates its length and diameter. Nails are sold by a number followed by a "d" and by length. The "d" stands for penny, so 8d refers to an 8-penny nail, 16d to a 16-penny nail, and so on. This system originated in England in the 15th century, when the price of 100 or 120 nails was measured in pennies or "pence". The larger the nail, the more pennies were required to purchase 100 of them.
The "d" is derived from the Roman coin, the denarius, which was the lowest value of the Roman currency system of librae, solidi, and denarii (pounds, shillings, and pence). The denarius was also the name for an English penny. Nails were hand-forged, one at a time, and the price of a hundred 3.5-inch nails was 16 pennies, so they became known as 16-penny nails.
In the United States, the length of a nail is designated by its penny size, written with a number and the abbreviation "d" for penny. For example, 10d refers to a ten-penny nail. A larger number indicates a longer nail. The penny size of a nail also determines its diameter. Nails under 1.25 inches, often called brads, are sold with only a length designation or with length and wire gauge designations.
While penny size is still used in the United States, professionals increasingly refer to the length of the nail in inches to avoid confusion. Most loose nail packaging now displays the 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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Frequently asked questions
The 'd' in penny nails stands for 'penny'.
'Penny' refers to the price of a hundred or long hundred (120) nails in England in the 15th century. The larger the nail, the more pennies were required to purchase a hundred of them.
The 'd' is derived from 'denarius', a Roman coin similar to a penny.
From 2d to 16d nails, the penny size increases by one to two for every 1/4-inch of length added to the nail. For 20d nails and longer, the penny size increases by 10 per 1/2-inch of length.
