What is Penny Candy?

Penny Candy came to life in the mid-1800s and has been around ever since. For decades, and generations, these sweets were sold for a penny a piece, sometimes less. Our penny candy collection contains a variety of different treats commonly sold as penny candy – from the 1800s through the 1950s!

Penny Candy in the 1800s

The earliest penny candies were NECCO Wafers (1847), candy sticks (1837) and pulled creams (mid 1800s). Jelly beans, enjoyed by Union soldiers, descended from Turkish Delight, originally a 9th century Arabic sore throat remedy. The 1880s and 90s brought circus peanuts, actually made for travelling circuses, Tootsie Rolls, and salt water taffy – which didn’t actually contain salt! The turn of the century brought Lifesavers, first sold at saloons.

The Early 1900s & Prohibition Sweets

The early 1900s brought Jawbreakers – a descendent of the sugar plum candies of the 1600s! Bit O’Honey and other toffees hit shelves in the 1920s, along with Dum-Dums, named by a salesman thinking children would remember the name. Charleston Chews, named for the speakeasy dance, and Nik L Nips – wax bottles that looked like nips of whiskey. An accountant at Fleer Gum invented Dubble Bubble – the first bubblegum in the United States in the late 1920s.

Retro Penny Candy Explosion

What lay ahead in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s? A drink mix-turned-candy, Pixy Stix, appeared. Later, the company received so many complaints from parents about their children making messes they created a cleaner version of the same candy – the SweeTart! Fireballs, Satellite Wafers, candy buttons, and other wonders candy store shelves. Our Penny Candy box is filled with a variety of favorites – candies may vary based on availability.

Watch Candy Historian Susan Benjamin Talk About Penny Candy