noun
handful of cash
Refers to a wad or bundle of cash held in one's hand, often implying a substantial amount. The reading つかみがね is more common than つかみきん.
彼はポケットからつかみ金を取り出した。
He pulled out a handful of cash from his pocket.
つかみ金を数えずに渡すなんて、太っ腹だね。
Handing over a wad of cash without counting it—that's generous.
札束 refers to a bundle of bills, often neatly stacked or banded, while つかみ金 emphasizes a handful or wad of cash, possibly loose or crumpled.
Compound of 掴み (tsukami, 'grasping') + 金 (kane/kin, 'money'). The reading つかみがね uses the rendaku form of 金. The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely arose as a colloquial term for cash held in the hand.