Green’s Dictionary of Slang

stiver n.

also steever, steiver, stever
[Du. stiver, a low-valued coin, the smallest monetary unit in use at the Cape under the Dutch East India Co., one-twentieth of a florin or gulden, worth a little more than one (old) penny; Nares, Glossary (1822), suggests ‘an inhabitant of the stews’ i.e, a whore]

1. something of little value; thus in cash terms, a penny.

[UK] ‘The Jovial Companions’ in Farmer Merry Songs and Ballads (1897) I 85: And they wou’d go Travel the North Country, / Without ever a stiver of Mony.
[UK]J. Shirley Honoria and Mammon I i: It wo’n’t be Ten hundred thousand pistols to a stiver.
[UK] ‘The Jovial Companions’ in Ebsworth Bagford Ballads (1878) I 51: [as cit. c.1630].
[UK]Farquhar Constant Couple I i: I there had a Dutch whore for five stivers.
[UK]Penkethman’s Jests 97: The former wou’d, at Night, frequently pick his Pocket to the last Stiver.
[UK]Sterne Tristram Shandy (1949) 255: ’Tis not worth a single stiver.
[UK]Foote The Minor 29: All sense of honour is gone, not a stiver stirring.
[UK]Bridges Burlesque Homer (3rd edn) 319: And for a stiver / He quickly hir’d another driver.
[UK]G.A. Stevens Adventures of a Speculist II 182: These foreigners could pick every stiver out of a Bubble’s pocket with such extreme politeness.
[US]T.G. Fessenden ‘Political Pepper-Pot’ Poems (1804) 75: Bog-trotters, noted for bravadoes; / And vagabonds not worth a stiver.
[UK]Sporting Mag. Aug. XVIII 247/2: These foreigners can pluck every stiver out of a bubble’s pocket.
[Scot](con. 18C) W. Scott Guy Mannering (1999) 191: Dirk Hatteraick never touched a stiver of his rents.
[UK]R.B. Peake Haunted Inn I ii: I have not a stiver!
[US]N.Y. Transcript 27 Oct. 2/5: I’m [...] pockets to let, used up to the stump, not got a stiver.
[UK]J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 115: Catch yourself without a stiver in your purse—where would you find a friend then [...] you could rely on for a sovereign?
[UK]Fast Man 7:1 n.p.: Moses, with a shrug, regretted that he had not the money. ‘Tings are so bad chust now, ma tear, I haven’t a steiver in the house’.
[UK]G.A. Sala Twice Round the Clock 165: There is an insolent burgher of Bedfordbury, who says I owe him certain stivers.
[UK]Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 67/1: Let uz turn up t’ blarsted consarn, any way [...] we hain’t makkin’ a blarsted ‘steever’ wi’ t’ crib?
[UK]in Sportsman 15 Dec. 2/1: Notes on News [...] ‘I always accounted my owners [...] for every stiver’.
[UK]‘Old Calabar’ Won in a Canter II 28: ‘Just a thousand pounds [...] not a stiver more’.
[Ire]C.J. Kickham Knocknagow 307: The devil a stiver she’ll get.
[UK]M.E. Braddon Mohawks III 155: This poor wretch from Exeter had not a stiver about him.
[Aus]Dead Bird (Sydney) 17 Aug. 5/1: Jones had not a stiver in his pocket.
[UK]Music Hall & Theatre Rev. 25 Oct. 11/2: I haven’t got a ‘steever’.
[UK]F.V. St Claire [perf. Vesta Tilley] In London 🎵 ‘Old yer ’orse, sir,’ cries a youngster, poorly fed and poorly clad / ‘Mind it for yer for a stiver’ .
[Aus]Truth (Sydney) Feb. 1/7: I orter ast the Missus and her Mother to ’ave some beer [...] and I ‘aven’t a bloomin’ stever.
[Aus]‘Price Warung’ Tales of the Early Days 143: It’s such chaps as you old codger — with any amount o’ heart, but not a stiver’s worth of bodily strength to feed th’ blood with.
[UK]A. Binstead Houndsditch Day by Day 47: Oh that be d—d [...] I ain’t a goin’ to pay a stever over sixty.
[UK]Marvel 21 Dec. 15: Avin no welf abowt me bar the stiver wich ide kollekted off a smoller boy.
[Aus]Sun. Times (Perth) 27 Nov. 4/8: [I] must, with every stiver spent, / Confess my thoughts are all intent / To earn a guinea.
[UK]A. Binstead Mop Fair 91: The subsequent draining month’s ‘rest’ [...] while one is not winning a single steever.
[Aus]‘A “Push” Story’ in Bulletin (Sydney) 2 Sept. 17/1: ‘Find me in fags, if they didn’t drag out a double-’eaded stiver ’n’ git things to a bubble’.
[UK]Marvel 22 Jan. 3: ‘Have you any money?’ I asked. ‘Not a stiver,’ he answered.
[Aus]Truth (Perth) 16 Apr. 6/3: Never got a blue bean for it, / Nor a half a stiever sure.
[UK]J.W. Horsley Memoirs of a ‘Sky Pilot’ 253: ‘Stever,’ for a coin.
[UK]Lawrence & Skinner Boy in Bush 291: I haven’t any cash. Not a stiver, Ma!
[UK]F. Jennings Tramping with Tramps 135: She ought ter give us a stever.
[UK]Thieves Slang ms list from District Police Training Centre, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwicks 10: Stiver: Penny.
[UK]L. Ortzen Down Donkey Row 12: Steiver – Penny.
[UK]J. Franklyn Cockney 290: A parallel problem would doubtless have arisen had the request been made for a steever.

2. in pl., money.

[UK]Marryat Snarleyyow 155: So much money too, they say. I don’t know how many stivers and guilders she will have by-and-bye.
[Aus]Sydney Sl. Dict. (2 edn) 7: Stiver - Piece of money.
[US]Bluefield Daily Tel. (WV) 11 Mar. 4/2: In addition [...] the following [names for money] are given: [...] Stivers.
[US]A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks n.p.: Stevers, money.

In compounds

stiver-cramped (adj.)

impoverished.

[UK]Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
[UK]Cobbett’s Wkly Political Register 24 Jan. 13/1: This most equitable act, in favour of those who, like myslf, are somewhat stiver-cramped.
[UK]Lex. Balatronicum.
[UK]Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
[UK]C.M. Westmacott Eng. Spy 1 255: Whether [...] well blunted or stiver cramped.
[Scot]Edinbury Gleaner 6: I am at present what is vulgarly called stiver cramped.
[UK]Satirist (London) 17 Jan. 7/2: I can't hadvance the reglar, as you call hit, till due — which will be six wheeks and upvords—as I ham stiver crampt.
[US]Wkly Standard (Raleigh, NC) 12 Feb. 2: [T]he past profligate expenditures of the State and its present stiver-cramped condition.
[UK]Huddersfield Chron. 6 Feb. 3/4: ‘I am at present, what is vulgarly called “stiver-cramped”’.
[US]Sun (NY) 17 Feb. n.p.: The town raff and the barees, well blunted or stiver-cramped against dun or don, nob or bigwig.
[Ire]Dublin Eve. Post 12 Oct. 3/6: As grand juries are likely to be stiver-cramped for a season [...] other means [...] must be sought out.