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Penny in the hole (also called penny seat, penny slot, tossing the penny, and pitch penny) is a
James Masters A similar game is
A version of the game called chuck-farthing was played in the United Kingdom.World Wide Words
- Chuck Farthing, Michael Quinion, June 16, 2007 Mentions of the game date back to the 18th century. ''A Little Pretty Pocket-book'', John Newbery, 1744 The rules of the game were described in the 19th century as follows: Each competitor starts with the same number of coins. They pitch their coins one at a time from a mark at a given distance towards a hole in the ground. The competitors are ranked based on how close they come to the hole. The competitor closest to the hole receives all of the coins and proceeds to a second mark nearer to the hole, from which he throws all of the coins at once towards the hole. All of the coins that remain in the hole are his to keep. The remainder of the coins are given to the next closest competitor, and the process is repeated until no coins remain.The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland & Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 1
Alice Bertha Gomme, 1894. A variation of the game called chuck-hole or chuck-penny was played in the same manner, with the exception that if the coins roll outside a ring drawn around the hole, it was declared a "dead heat," and each competitor reclaims his coin. The coins used were usually small denomination,
pub game
A pub game is one which is traditionally played inside or outside a pub. Most pub games date back centuries and are rooted in village culture. Many derive from older outdoor sports.
Pub games can be loosely grouped into throwing games, dice ...
. It involves throwing coins across the room and into a hole carved in the seat of a wooden bench.Pitching disc games - History and Useful InformationJames Masters A similar game is
Toad in the Hole
Toad in the hole is a traditional British dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Historically, the dish has also been prepared using other meats, such as rump steak and lamb's k ...
in which a dedicated table or box is used instead of a hole carved in a convenient piece of pub furniture. Toad in the Hole has a World Championship held in Lewes
Lewes () is the county town of East Sussex, England. The town is the administrative centre of the wider Lewes (district), district of the same name. It lies on the River Ouse, Sussex, River Ouse at the point where the river cuts through the Sou ...
.
History
A version of the game called chuck-farthing was played in the United Kingdom.World Wide Words- Chuck Farthing, Michael Quinion, June 16, 2007 Mentions of the game date back to the 18th century. ''A Little Pretty Pocket-book'', John Newbery, 1744 The rules of the game were described in the 19th century as follows: Each competitor starts with the same number of coins. They pitch their coins one at a time from a mark at a given distance towards a hole in the ground. The competitors are ranked based on how close they come to the hole. The competitor closest to the hole receives all of the coins and proceeds to a second mark nearer to the hole, from which he throws all of the coins at once towards the hole. All of the coins that remain in the hole are his to keep. The remainder of the coins are given to the next closest competitor, and the process is repeated until no coins remain.The Traditional Children's Games of England Scotland & Ireland In Dictionary Form - Volume 1
Alice Bertha Gomme, 1894. A variation of the game called chuck-hole or chuck-penny was played in the same manner, with the exception that if the coins roll outside a ring drawn around the hole, it was declared a "dead heat," and each competitor reclaims his coin. The coins used were usually small denomination,
farthing
Farthing or farthings may refer to:
Coinage
*Farthing (British coin), an old British coin valued one quarter of a penny
** Half farthing (British coin)
** Third farthing (British coin)
** Quarter farthing (British coin)
*Farthing (English c ...
s, halfpence, or pennies
A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is t ...
. Sometimes rough-cast leaden markers called ''dumps'' were used.
In popular culture
The game is featured at the beginning of the film "The Purple Rose of Cairo
''The Purple Rose of Cairo'' is a 1985 American period fantasy romantic comedy film, written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in Depression-era New Jersey, it stars Mia Farrow as a film lover who flees her abusive husband (Danny Aiello) after ...
" (1985), and at the end of the film "The Cincinnati Kid
''The Cincinnati Kid'' is a 1965 American drama film directed by Norman Jewison. It tells the story of Eric "The Kid" Stoner, a young Depression-era poker player, as he seeks to establish his reputation as the best. This quest leads him to chal ...
" (1965).
See also
* Quarters, a drinking game which involves players bouncing a quarter off a table and into a glass or cup on that tableReferences
*Finn, Timothy: ''Pub Games of England'' (Oleander Press) {{Reflist Pub games Coin games Precision sports