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Title: Copper Farthings Post by: handyman [Alan} on June 29, 2010, 08:10:46 AM Copper Farthings
During the 1st 10 years of the reign of George 3rd, no copper pieces were coined other than a small issue totalling £3810, apparently all farthings, struck from dies of George 2nd dated 1754. In 1771, 1773, 1774 and 1775 copper farthings were struck for George 3rd in the same style and weigh as former years. Then followed a hiatus of 22 years during which time no regal copper coins were issued. In 1797, a remarkable series of full intrinsic value copper penny and twopenny pieces were issued. Because of their size, they soon became known as ‘cartwheels’. Proof farthings of this type were struck as pattern pieces, but this design was never adopted. Matthew Boulton started making farthings of a slightly different design in 1799 at his Soho mint. The reverse of this coin has the inscription I.FARTHING around the lower edge. This was the first time that the name of a denomination is given on an English regal coin. Reference A guide book of English coins, K.E. Bressett, 7th edition 1968 |