Farthing: coin of United Kingdom (13th-20th centuries); 1/4 penny

FARTHING: COIN OF UNITED KINGDOM

Farthing, 1885: United Kingdom

Farthing, 1885: United Kingdom

Ruler: Victoria — Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

FARTHING. 1885.

Seated Britannia: the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield (with Union flag / Union Jack). In the distance at sea — a ship (sailboat).

VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D: (Victoria Dei Gratia Britanniar Regina Fidei Defensor): Victoria by the Grace of God Queen of the Britains Defender of the Faith.

Portrait of Queen Victoria (so-called, BUN HEAD PORTRAIT).

Coin design: Leonard Charles Wyon — British engraver of the Victorian era.

Mintage: 5.442.300.

Royal Mint, London (without mintmark).

  • Bronze: 20 mm - 2.8 g
  • Reference price: 6$

COIN FARTHING — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
  1. UNITED KINGDOM (13th-20th centuries): farthing = 1/4 penny = 1/960 pound
  2. IRELAND (17th-20th centuries): farthing (feoirling) = 1/4 penny (pingin) = 1/960 pound (punt)
  3. ISLE OF MAN (1839-1864): farthing = 1/4 penny = 1/960 pound
  4. JAMAICA (1880-1952): farthing = 1/4 penny = 1/960 pound

The name of the farthing coin comes from the word "fēorðing" (from "fēorða"), which translated from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) means the fourth part. In this case, we are talking about a quarter of a penny. It is interesting to use the term to denote the early types of bicycles — Penny-farthing. This is what the British called the first bicycles, in which the front wheel was much larger than the rear: similar to the ratio of the diameters of pence and farthing coins.