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Farthing

A farthing (meaning fourth part) was an English coin worth one quarter of a penny and 1/960 of a pound sterling. Such coins were first minted in England in the 13th century, and continued to be used until 31 December 1960, when they ceased to be legal tender. more...

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Early farthings were silver — and surviving copies are rare because they were rarely stored; the first copper farthings were issued during the reign of King James I who gave a licence for minting to John Harrington. Licences were subsequently given out until after the Commonwealth when the Royal Mint resumed production in 1672.

Early farthings

Little is known of the medieval silver farthing, for few remain. As the smallest denomination, it was rarely hoarded — in fact silver farthings have never been found in large hoards — and since it contained a quarter-penny's worth of silver it was also extremely small, therefore easily lost. Besides, farthings were not produced in anything like the quantities of the penny and halfpenny because, although they were useful to ordinary people, they were not so much used by the wealthy and powerful; and because, for the moneyers, they yielded the least profit of any denomination. Furthermore, the coins are so small that few metal detectors can find them. Consequently they are rare today.

Prior to the 13th century, requirements for small change were often met by \"cut coinage\" i.e. pennies cut into halves or quarters, usually along the cross which formed a prominent part of the reverse of the coin. It was long considered that the first silver farthing coins were produced in the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307). However in recent years five examples have been discovered dating from the reign of King Henry III (1216–1272). All are in the short-cross style of that period, produced between 1216 and 1247, and are similar in design to the pennies, but only a quarter the size. Due to the lack of known examples and documentary evidence, these coins are thought to be trials rather than circulating coins. The production of farthings was authorised by the Patent Rolls of 1222, but actual examples have only recently been discovered. The obverse shows a bust of the king holding a sceptre, with the inscription HENRICUS REX, while the reverse shows a small cross with three pellets in each quarter with the moneyer's inscription TERRI (or ILGER or (?)ADAM) ON LUND — Terry (or Ilger or Adam) of London — only two examples of Terri's and Ilger's work have been discovered, and the identification of Adam is uncertain because only part of his coin has survived.

Edwardian and Henrician farthings

Contemporary records show that over four million farthings were produced during the reign of King Edward I, (1272–1307), but comparatively few have survived to our time. By far the most prolific mint was London, identified on the reverse of the coin by LONDONIENSIS or CIVITAS LONDON or very rarely LONDRIENSIS, but they were also produced at Berwick (VILLA BEREVVICI), Bristol (VILLA BRISTOLLIE), Lincoln (CIVITAS LINCOL), Newcastle (NOVICASTRI), and York (CIVITAS EBORACI), but most of the provincial mints' output is rare today. The weight and fineness of Edwards' farthings varies - the first three issues from the London mint weigh 6.85 grains / 0.44 grams, while the later issues weigh 5.5 grains / 0.36 grams, but the value of the coins remained the same as the heavier coins had a lower fineness or silver content than the lighter coins; it is thought that the coins were made larger in order to make them easier to strike and handle, but coins of low fineness have never been popular in England and the population preferred the inconvenience of a smaller coin with higher silver content. Edward's farthings were of the long cross type reverse, and the usual legend on the obverse was EDWARDUS REX (King Edward), or occasionally E R ANGLIE (Edward King of England), and once ER ANGL DN (Edward King of England Lord (of Ireland)).