Reference: Penny, Pennyworth
Smith
In the New Testament "penny," either alone or in the compound "pennyworth," occurs as the rendering of the Roman denarius.
Mt 20:2; 22:10; Mr 6:37; 12:15; Lu 20:24; Joh 6:7; Re 6:6
The denarius was the chief Roman silver coin, and was worth about 15 to 17 cents.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "Should we go and buy bread for two hundred silver coins and give it to them to eat?"
But he saw through their hypocrisy and said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."
"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They said, "Caesar's."
Philip replied, "Two hundred silver coins worth of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little."
Then I heard something like a voice from among the four living creatures saying, "A quart of wheat will cost a day's pay and three quarts of barley will cost a day's pay. But do not damage the olive oil and the wine!"