A Dutch coin about the value of a cent. A common expression in New York is, 'He's not worth a stiver,' i. e. he's very poor.
TO STIVER
To run; to move off. A low word used in the Northern States.
·noun A Dutch coin, and money of account, of the value of two cents, or about one penny sterling; he...
Webster's Dictionary of the English Language
A very small Dutch coin. "Not worth a stiver" is a colloquialism to express a person's poverty. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book
Needy, wanting money. A stiver is a Dutch coin, worth somewhat more than a penny sterling. ...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose