Shove Ha’Penny: A Traditional Tabletop Skill Game 🪙
Bring the spirit of classic pub entertainment to your game room with Shove Ha’Penny. This traditional tabletop game puts touch, timing and accuracy to the test as players slide coins across the board, aiming to land them neatly between the horizontal lines. The rules are quick to learn, but scoring consistently takes patience and a steady hand—making every turn an enjoyable challenge.
How to Play Shove Ha’Penny
The spaces between the board’s horizontal lines are called beds. Players take turns shoving coins from the front of the board, trying to settle each coin fully inside a bed. Coins touching a line do not score. To win, a player must score in every bed three times, including the harder-to-reach spaces farther up the board.
- Sergeant: Score three coins in the same bed during one turn.
- Sergeant major: Score all five coins in one turn, also known as a “gold watch.”
- Shoving technique: Use the heel of your hand, palm, side of the thumb or fingertips to find a comfortable, controlled motion.
A Classic Game with a Long History
Shove Ha’Penny dates back to around 1840. Early versions were played on flat surfaces with lines marked out to create the beds. Traditional boards are made from slate or hardwood, with indented lines defining the scoring spaces. Some boards use removable rails in these indentations to help check whether a coin is fully inside a bed. If it moves during the check, it does not score.
Set Up, Sharpen Your Aim and Play 🏆
Allow approximately 30 minutes for set-up. Once the game is ready, take turns, refine your shoving technique and see who can fill every bed first. Traditionally, coins are smoothed on one side to help them glide across the board. Follow the board’s care and use guidance if applying anything to make the playing surface more slippery.
Whether you enjoy traditional games, tabletop skill challenges or friendly pub-style competition, Shove Ha’Penny offers a memorable way to bring people together. Easy to understand and rewarding to master, it’s a distinctive choice for game nights and players who enjoy precision as much as a little friendly rivalry.