Penny Napoleonic Wars prompted the use of base metals in 1797. Despite the decimalization of currencies in the United States and, later, throughout the British Commonwealth, the name remains in informal use. No penny is currently formally subdivided, although farthings (¼ d.), halfpennies, and half cents have previously been minted and the mill (1/10¢) remains in use as a unit of account in some contexts. "Penny" is first attested in a 1394 Scots text, a variant of Old English ', a development of numerous variations including ', ', and '. The etymology of the term "penny" is uncertain, although cognates are
Rood (unit) Rood (unit) A rood () is a historic English and international inch-pound measure of area, as well as an archaic English measure of length. "Rood" is an archaic word for "pole", from Old English "rōd" "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic "*rodo", cognate to Old Saxon "rōda", Old High German "ruoda" "rod"; the relation of "rood" to "rod", from Old English "rodd" "pole", is unclear; the latter was perhaps influenced by Old Norse "rudda" "club". Rood is an English unit of area, equal to one quarter of an acre or . A rectangle that is one furlong (i.e. 10 chains, or