A penny (pl. pence or pennies), also known as a cent or minor,'s a coin or a unit of currency used in several English-speaking countries. Pennies appear to have been in use since the first use of minted coinage. Etymology Older English versions of the word penny are penning and pending; the word appears in German as pfennig and in Dutch as penning. These words are thought by some to have been derived from the German word Pfand, meaning pan, or the Dutch word "pand" and English word "pawn," wor… (More on Penny)