luck penny
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: lucky penny
Meaning · English
A trifle returned to a purchaser for good luck; also a penny with a hole in it, supposed to ensure good luck.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “luck penny” mean?
A trifle returned to a purchaser for good luck; also a penny with a hole in it, supposed to ensure good luck.
Is “luck penny” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.