CHESHIRE-L Archives

Archiver > CHESHIRE > 2005-11 > 1133312866


From: "Dr. Terry S. Walker" <>
Subject: Re: [CHS] Ancient Inventory (1611) - Lesson 2 = Money
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 20:07:46 -0500
References: <2b2.dcfebb.30bdaa3b@aol.com> <00fb01c5f53f$22b6b070$d68bddcb@keith60tc8d7oy> <085a01c5f543$b3a24fa0$130f8d48@mtmc.phub.net.cable.rogers.com>


Talking of farthings and their derivatives makes me think how ridiculous it was to mint coins
representing fractions of farthings. My understanding is, and I expect to be told I'm wrong, that a
farthing was a quarter of a penny - literally. A penny cut into quarters, each quarter being a
fourth-ing. A much less expensive way of producing a low denomination coin than minting it.

Terry in Big O.

Mike Morris wrote:
> Taken from a Google search.
>
> Mike Morris
> Toronto Canada
>
> Even Smaller Than Farthings - Half Farthings
> Although there were 960 farthings to the pound sterling, which sounds
> difficult to imagine nowadays, there were, in fact coins smaller than
> farthings.
> Fractional farthings were issued from 1839. Copper half farthings, 1920 to
> the pound, were used in Britain, and also in many Colonial countries where
> lower denomination coins were needed.
> They were issued from 1839 to 1856, and their reverse design was the
> inscription "HALF FARTHING" in two lines, with a crown above.
> If most people are fascinated to learn that half farthings were ever
> produced, they would be even more surprised to discover that there were also
> quarter and third farthings!
>
> Quarter Farthings
> Copper quarter farthings, incredible as it may seem to have needed coins
> worth 3840 to the pound, were produced from 1839 to 1853, but were almost
> exclusively reserved for use in Ceylon.
> The design of quarter farthings followed that of half farthings, in having
> as their reverse type, their value in two lines surmounted by a crown.
>
> Third Farthings
> There were 2880 third farthings to the pound, and third farthings were
> issued for use in Malta. They were produced in copper in 1844 with the
> reverse type being Britannia, and in bronze from 1866 to 1885 with the
> reverse design being the inscription "ONE THIRD FARTHING" in two lines,
> within a wreath, and surmounted by a crown.
> Incredibly, third farthings continued into the twentieth century, being
> issued for Edward VII in 1902, and for George V in 1913, with the same
> reverse of their value in two lines.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Keith Darnell" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 6:46 PM
> Subject: Re: [CHS] : Ancient Inventory (1611) - Lesson 2 = Money
>
>
>
>>G/Day So what did they call the coin which was half the value of a
>
> farthing? <snip>
>
>
>


This thread: