Plural of penny; small coins of low value, traditionally one cent in the US or one penny in the UK. They represent the smallest unit of currency in many countries.
From Old English 'penig,' related to Old Frisian and Old Saxon. The word has Germanic roots and originally meant a specific type of coin. The plural form 'pennies' became standard for multiple coins of this type.
Interestingly, 'pennies' is actually a newer plural—historically people said 'pence' (which you still hear in British English for the monetary amount), but 'pennies' emphasizes individual coins rather than value.
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