# two ha'pennies for a penny

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/two-hapennies-for-a-penny
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Any money whatsoever.

## Examples

- I do not have two ha'pennies for a penny to my name.
- The business is failing so badly that the owner does not have two ha'pennies for a penny to pay the staff.
- After the market crash destroyed his entire fortune, the once wealthy investor found himself without two ha'pennies for a penny to buy a simple meal.

## Origin

The idiom describes an individual so destitute that they lack even the two halfpennies required to change another person's penny. It suggests a level of poverty where the basic mechanical exchange of currency is prevented by a total absence of liquidity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.