halfpennyworth , auch: ha'p'orth

And they would light a halfpennyworth of coloured fire to look at him by.

No 4.5d. a day per mouth for food is coming in; no halfpennyworth of bread per meal; and, at the end of the week, no six shillings for rent.

At the time of the of political union of Scotland and England in 1707 the Pound Scots was worth 1/12 of the Pound Sterling, thus a Scots halfpennyworth implies worthlessness.

Bread, $1: for a family of five, for seven days, one dollar's worth of bread will give each a daily ration of 2.8 cents; and if they eat three meals a day, each may consume per meal 9.5 mills' worth of bread, a little less than one halfpennyworth.