Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Purs-penny, n. Also: purse- and -penney, -pennie, -peny, -pen(n)é. [Only Sc.: Purs n.; Penny n.; also in the later dial.] A coin or other piece of bullion, commonly of high value, kept permanently. Also fig.viz. ‘as a curiosity, or from affection to the donor’ (Jam.), or for luck. 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 166b.
Twa siluir purs penneyis at iiij li. the peice 1613 Ib. XLVII 357.
Fyue purspennyis of gold 1623 Ib. LII 33b.
Tua great purspennes of gold pryce of baith fyftie pund Ib. 34.
All my goldin cheinȝies … peisis of gold or purspennies gluiff or buikis 1628 Soc. Ant. XXIII 267.
Of purs penes tuellfe Portingall duicattis 1647 Ib. LXIII 98. 1649 Ruthven Corr. 116. 1650 Dunfermline Regality Reg. in Rogers Social Life I 384.
Ane Portugal ducate of the best peice of gold, or money commonlie called ane purse pennie 1654 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 683/1.
I do leawe to my grandchyld … my silwer peices and purspennies 1662 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 42.
[They … broke up his cabinet locks and took out his purse and some jewels and] purspenies [and 500 merks of money] 1664 Inv. 12 in Decr. Dalr. XI.
Money … that was lying by him … in gold or purse pennies or in silverwork 1677 Cramond Ch. Speymouth 34.
This day emptied the box of all the money was in it, except 3s. 8d. a purse pennie which remainsfig. ?1672 M. Bruce Sermon in Edinb. Tolbooth 5.
If I had these three purse-pennies, I would think nothing to go through all the world with them