Green’s Dictionary of Slang

nicker n.²

1. £1.

1871		H.J. Byron Cyril’s Success (new edn) III 45: I shall only be too delighted [...] That’s a nicker for Treherne.
1899		A. Binstead Houndsditch Day by Day 120: A new florin that had no more ‘ring’ in it than a kid’s lead nicker.
1910		Sessions Papers 1 June 128: I suppose this has cost you a couple of ‘nickers’.
1916		Yorks Eve. Post 16 Oct. 5/4: In the ranks, you more often hear of ‘Jose-Annas’ (sixpences) and ‘deeners’ (shillings) than of ‘nickers’ (pound notes) or ‘half-nickers (10s. notes).
1925		N. Lucas Autobiog. of a Thief 231: ‘I got five hundred nicker’ (£500 worth of swag).
1938		G. Kersh Night and the City 48: This Turkish bath costs you fifty nicker extra, after what you put me through.
1945		(con. 1937) R. Westerby Mad in Pursuit 158: ‘What’ll be in it for me?’ Johnny asked. ‘Couple of nick,’ Lou said.
1946		S. Jackson Indiscreet Guide to Soho 114: He puts a hundred ‘nicker’ on a dog.
1954		K. Amis letter 1 Oct. in Leader (2000) 405: No fifty nicker from old Crippen yet.
1958		(con. 1940s) B. Behan Borstal Boy 192: Some bastards couldn’t be ’appy [...] if they was in the Ritz Hotel with a million nicker.
1960		A. Burgess Right to an Answer (1978) 171: Five nicker is five nicker, as he put it.
1963		A. Baron Lowlife (2001) 14: A hundred and fifty nicker.
1975		‘P.B. Yuill’ Hazell and the Three-card Trick (1977) 46: You don’t want me back teeth as well for a nicker, do yer?
1981		J. Sullivan ‘Big Brother’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] They’ll always lend you a nicker for petrol!
1995		J. Cameron Vinnie Got Blown Away 121: Five got you in the door then rum a nicker a tumbler or six a bottle.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 204: I give a hundred pounds, one hundred nicker in notes to a bloke.

2. money in general.

1955		J.P. Donleavy Ginger Man (1958) 43: Stay here till my last breath if I had the necessary nicker.
1963–74		B. Humphries Barry McKenzie [comic strip] in Complete Barry McKenzie (1988) 37: He made enough nicker out of it to buy a fleet of Bentleys.
2001		G. Coughlan Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Nicker (n): money; 50 nicker=50 quid/pounds.

In compounds

nicker bit (n.)

a pound coin.

1992

R. Puxley Cockney Rabbit 135: The pound coin was introduced in 1983 and was immediately nicked-named a nicker bit.

In phrases

half-a-nicker (also half a nick, half-nicker)

ten shillings, subseq. a ten-shilling note (50p).

1878		Bristol Mercury 17 Sept. 3/4: The prisoners brought the cask in [...] saying it was worth half-a-nicker, which he believed meant half a sovereign.
1889		Aberdeen Jrnl 25 Dec. 4/6: He heard Welham remark that he would give half a ‘nicker’ to any man who who find a flaw against Annie Keith. Half a ‘nicker’ was 10s.
1936		G. Meek ‘The Favourite’ in Station Days in Maoriland (1952) 64: So, you plank on half-a-nicker, for you know you’ll get a spin.
1938		F.D. Sharpe Sharpe of the Flying Squad 241: He was fined half a nicker (10s.), and they let me go.
1945		(con. 1937) R. Westerby Mad in Pursuit 159: ‘What’ll I get if I don’t?’ ‘Half a nick.’.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 233/2: half-nicker – a ten-shilling note.