What bird was on the British Farthing coin?

Answer 1

A Farthing coin is a denomination of the old redundant predecimal British currency system and dates back to the 13th century.

The name "Farthing" was derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "Feorthing" which is a Forthling or a fourth part.

Originally, the Farthing was made from silver of varying quality and from 1558, they were made from copper and eventually bronze from 1860.

Since 1816, the Farthing has varied from 20 to 23.5mm in diameter and weighed from 2.821 to 4.749 grams.

A Farthing coin represented 1/4 of a Penny (1/4d) or, 1/48th of a Shilling or, 1/960th of a Sovereign or 1/960th of a Pound.

The last Farthing was minted in 1956, but they continued to be used until 1960 when they had become virtually worthless, and were demonetised on the 31st of December, 1960.

At Britains conversion to decimal currency there was no equivalent coin, but the Farthing coin converts to 0.104 New Pence in the new currency.

From a coin collectors perspective, a Farthing coin, depending on the year, condition and method of minting, could be worth anything from a few Pounds to maybe a thousand Pounds GBP.

Please note that since the Farthing is part of a redundant or obsolete currency, it no longer has an "exchange rate" with other currencies.

Answer 2

A Florin coin is a denomination of the old redundant predecimal British currency system and was introduced in 1849 as a tentative step towards decimalisation.

The Florin was also used by many other Commonwealth countries including Australia and New Zealand.

The "Florin" had a value of Two Shillings or 24 pence or 1/10 th of a Pound.

The silver Florins of the past 150 years should not be confused with the gold medieval Florins which are an entirely different coin.

The origin of the term comes from Florence, Italy, in the mid-13th century where a gold coin called a "Fiorino d'oro" was used. Many other European countries also used a similarly named coin.

From its introduction into the currency in 1848, the Florin was made from 92.5% "sterling" silver. From 1920 the silver content was reduced to 50% and from 1947 they were made from a copper/nickel alloy.

Since 1848, the Florin has varied from 28 to 30 mm in diameter and weighed from 11.3 to 11.5 grams.

The British Florin was last minted for circulation in 1967.

As part of Britains conversion to decimal currency, the Florin coin converted to 10 New Pence in the new currency, in 1968, a little ahead of schedule. In most other Commonwealth countries, the Florin converted to 20 cents at decimalisation.

From a coin collectors perspective, a Florin coin, depending on the year, condition and method of minting, could be worth anything from a few Pounds to several thousand Pounds GBP.

Please note that since the Florin is part of a redundant or obsolete currency, it does not have an exchange rate with other currencies.

Answer 3

A British 1684 tin Farthing (Charles II), circulated but still in good condition, might fetch anything from £50 to £3,250 GBP.

A British 1685 tin Farthing (Charles II), is considered to be extremely rare.

The tin farthings were produced as something of a "Government assistance" to the ailing Cornish tin industry at that time.

NOTE - The reverse of these coins is upside down to the obverse. This is normal.

The values quoted are the best possible for the best specimens in their grades, but may be significantly lower due to varying demand for the coin and the prevailing economic climate. A reputable coin dealer will be able to give a more accurate valuation based on inspection of the coin.

Answer 4

Some coin designs show the King or Queen wearing a wreath of laurels around the head.

The laurels occasionally show berries in the laurels.

Coins of the same type in the same year may show the laurels with no berries, a specific quantity of berries, or a different quantity of berries.

These are the little things you need to look for when trying to identify a coin and whether or not it might be rare.

Answer 5

The wren was on the reverse of all British Farthings from 1937 to its last minting in 1956.

Answer 6

Yes