[2] It is abbreviated dwt, d standing for denarius – (an ancient Roman coin), and later used as the symbol of an old British penny (see £sd).

In the Middle Ages, an English penny's weight was literally, as well as monetarily, 1⁄20 of an ounce and 1⁄240 of a pound of sterling silver.

Jewellers use the pennyweight in calculating the amount and cost of precious metals used in fabricating or casting jewellery.

Over the Pennines in Yorkshire the alternative drams and grains measurement has been used since a new set of scales was purchased by the Egton Bridge Old Gooseberry Society in 1937.

As of 2018, the world record for the heaviest gooseberry of 41 dwt 11 gr (64.5 g) was held by Kelvin Archer of Cheshire.