Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(W.I.) 1½d (post-1969 value 25 cents); also attrib.

1822		S.A. Mathews ‘Dialogue between Uncoo Cudjoe & Buddy Quow’ in Willshire Squeeze 80: Ee say von foo quatter fo sisy bit an a haf, turrer quatter foo sisy bit and fower dog; put sisy an a haf pun sisy bit an fower dog, ee mno mek donner two bit and tre dog?
1873		C. Rampini Letters from Jamaica 94: A few eggs [...] which she hopes to barter for [...] a ‘quattie’ candle.
1907		W. Jekyll Jam. Song and Story 18: 2 gills 1 quatty (quarter of a sixpence, pronounced quotty).
1913		H. De Lisser Jane’s Career (1971) 40: I would only get six bananas for a quattie.
1929		M. Beckwith Black Roadways 49: The following names [...] still in use today: Bit, 4½d. or 9 cents. Four bits, 1s. 6d. or 36 cents. Mac-and-thruppence, 1s. 3d. or 30 cents. Quattie, 1½d. or 3 cents. Gill, 3 farthings or 1½cents.
1933		(con. 1900s) C. McKay Banana Bottom 317: Quattie: a penny ha’penny.
1942		L. Bennett ‘Jamaica Patoah’ in Jam. Dialect Poems 121: W’en him ask har ’ow much me owe har [...] Miss Liza bawl out, / ‘Is shillin’ an’ quatty!’.
1950		Bennett, Clarke & Wilson Anancy Stories and Dialect Verse 101: quatty – penny half penny.
1951		‘Call Dinah’ in T. Murray Folk Songs of Jamaica 11: Me beg Dinah but quatty suga’.
1966		(con. 1940s) L. Bennett ‘Tan-Up Seat’ in Jamaica Labrish 52: Everybody pay quatty!
1979		T. Rhone Old Story Time I i: Buy penny oil, hapenny salt, an’ quattie bread for me.
1989		C. Hyatt When Me Was A Boy 17: That’s two egg and a quattie gone like Sammy mout’.