The Half Farthing

This was issued a year later than the third farthing for use exclusively in Ceylon. However, in 1842 it was made legal tender in the UK despite much criticism for being far too small a denomination.

The series lasted until 1869 when the coin was demonetized, the last date issued for circulation being 1856. They were generally treated as curiosities, and weigh about 2.4g with a diameter of 18mm. All are copper except for the 1868 proofs.

The design of the half farthings for George IV and William IV show a standard portrait on the obverse, while the reverse shows Britannia facing right seated with a shield and trident.

Those issued by Victoria have a reverse which reads HALF FARTHING with a crown above and the date below. Below that there was a rose with three leaves for the issue of 1839, which was changed to a rose, thistle and shamrock thereafter, when the coin became valid throughout the UK. The obverse for the Victorian coins is identical to that of the Maundy Fourpence.

Bronze and cupronickel proofs dated 1868 was made in the same design, but none of that date were issued for circulation.

The vast majority of issued coins are dated 1844.

The proof versions issued in 1853 proof sets had coin rather than medal orientation of the reverse, although medal reverse proofs are known.

There is an interesting and very collectable variety of the 1844 coin where the E of REGINA had clearly been mis-stamped

N originally (click here for a more detailed image). The 1851 over 5851 and 1851 over 1801 varieties are less popular and much more elusive.

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A picture by Anna Haller

Anna Haller was born in 1872 and was the 2nd of four children of Rudolf Haller and Anna née Gloor. Two siblings died early. When Anna was 4 years old, her father died. In 1878 her mother married Adolf Weber from Menziken in Rupperswil. She had four more children, and i n 1883 the family settled in Biel. Anna did an apprenticeship from 1889 to 1898 in a studio for watch shell decoration, where she learned Damascus (surface treatment of metal, exchange, etching) and gold and silver decoration on steel. At the same time, she visited the arts and crafts department of the Technikum Biel. Under Ferdinand Hüttenlocher, she was a graduate in the specialist class of the general drawing and modelling school of the Technikum Biel. After training in leather technology with Georg Hulbe in Hamburg in 1898, she became the first lecturer in Biel. From 1899 to 1907 she taught four hours on Saturdays. As an employee of Albert Renggli's s...

The One Third Farthing

The Third Farthing The first of the fractional farthings to be issued was the third farthing, which throughout the period of issue from 1827 to 1913 was minted solely for use in Malta. The island used British coins, but the Grano , dating from before British rule, was valued at a twelfth of a penny. As a result, the decision was made to coin the equivalent in a British denomination. The Copper Third Farthing The design of the copper half farthings for George IV, William IV, and Victoria shows a standard portrait on the obverse, while the reverse shows Britannia facing right seated with a shield and trident. They weigh about 1.57g and have a diameter of 16mm. The 1844 copper third farthing of Victoria comes in two varieties. A few rare versions have RE rather than REG on the reverse . The Bronze Third Farthing In common with the other larger denominations, a switch to bronze was made in 1860. The reverse design was changed to show the inscription ONE THIRD FARTHING...

The Quarter Farthing

The Quarter Farthing The quarter farthing was issued for use only in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) between 1839 and 1853, and was never legal tender in the UK. However, they are usually considered to be part of the British coin series, as Ceylon used British currency at that time. They have the smallest sized diameter of all copper British coins, having a diameter of 13.5mm and weighing just 1.2g. Besides the copper circulation issues of 1839 and 1851-3, bronze and cupronickel proofs dated 1868 are also known. The design is similar to that of the half farthing, but with a reverse which reads QUARTER FARTHING with the date and rose with three leaves below, and a crown above. They are difficult coins to find in really top quality condition, as the tropical climate in Ceylon caused copper to corrode readily.

Heritage Stone

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