god’s penny

God’s penny. Hist. Earnest money; a small sum paid on the striking of a bargain.

— Also termed denarius Dei; earnest-penny; godpenny. See ARRA.

“It is among the merchants that the giving of earnest first … becomes a form which binds both buyer and seller in a contract of sale. To all appearances this change was not accomplished without the intermediation of a religious idea. All over western Europe the earnest becomes known as the God’s penny or Holy Ghost’s penny (denarius Dei) ….” 2 Frederick Pollock & Frederic W. Maitland, The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I 208 (2d ed. 1899).

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词条贡献者

译者李科，毕业于世界顶级翻译学院，擅长翻译各种与国家安全审查相关的法律文件。