Green’s Dictionary of Slang

twopence; later usage US gambling, two.

1859		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict.
1873		Sl. Dict.
1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.
1909		J. Ware Passing Eng. of the Victorian Era 44/2: Bottle o’ Spruce [...] twopence; this sum, early in the 19th century being the price of a bottle of spruce beer. A man now seeking twopence asks for the price of a pint. His grandfather would have asked for a bottle of spruce.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks 12/1: Bottle of spruce, a deuce (two).
1944		Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3.