Brewer's: Rap

Not worth a rap. The rap was a base halfpenny, intrinsically worth about half a farthing, issued for the nonce in Ireland in 1721, because small coin was so very scarce. There was also a coin in Switzerland called a rappe, worth the seventh of a penny.

“Many counterfeits passed about under the name of raps.” —Swift: Drapier's Letters.

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