1799 Farthing

[Guest kate]

Hi again Chris,

Whilst we were doing some renovations to our house last year we found a 1799 farthing above the front door presumably put there for good luck, I would be very interested to find a little out about it. Also I would like to return it to a similar position now that the work is done on the house and would like to add a coin from last year to go with it, any suggestions as to a good coin to add, and what is the best thing to put my coins in to keep them in good condition until someone else finds them, perhaps in another couple of hundred years?

[Chris Perkins 223]

Dear Kate,

Thanks for adding a new and interesting paragraph or two to the site. New content keeps people coming back and I need to get this forum filled!

The 1799 Farthing was a 1 year type, the farthing before it was dated 1775 and the next one after it 1806. That farthing was made in the Soho area of Birmingham by a very good coin maker called Boulton who at that stage was still perfecting his new steam powered coin press.

The coin you have is basically one of the first that was struck with a machine and of far superior quality than anything that went before it (with regards to lower values certainly). What you have represents one of the earliest ancester of the modern British coinage.

There are 2 varieties concerning the number of berries on the branch Britannia is holding but it's very difficult to tell them apart unless the coin is in super condition and they're both worth the same anyway.

The book values are currently GBP8.00 in Fine, GBP35.00 in VF and GBP75.00 in EF so if it's a nice example i'd certainly think twice about making it part of your house!

Worn examples are common and worth very little.

So you want to ensure it stays the way it is for 200 years! All of the products offered for coin storage on the site are free from chemicals and won't do it any harm but they certainly haven't been tested over 200 years yet! I would recommend a plastic coin capsule and perhaps you could seal it closed with something.

The coin you can put with it is obvious...A one pound coin. Because the design changes every year making each one a one year type at the moment (I believe) and the 2002 One pound coin had the reverse design representing England. I'm not sure where you are in the UK but if it's England then there couldn't be a more ideal modern cousin.

Chris

www.predecimal.com

[Guest kate]

Thanks very much chris, the farthing is in pretty good nick it is a very shiny copper colour on the heads side, and slightly duller on the tails. Britannia is holding a very small branch. I think it must have been newly minted when it was put in the house. Thanks for the advice on the pound idea, I do live in England (Derbys) so that would be ideal.

Out of interest what would it have bought back in 1799?

would it just be a bit of loose change or quite a bit of money for your average peasant farmer?

Thanks again for all your help, keep up the good work, you're doing a great job with the website.

[Chris Perkins 223]

Dear Kate,

Thankyou!

Actually I have to make a little amendment to the info stated above. The value is GBP8.00 in VF, GBP35.00 EF and GBP75.00 UNC. I didn't realise the book values started at VF not F.

If it really was put there when it was new I would keep it and just put the pound up there!

And i tell you what would be another great idea to put up there...Last years One off Golden Jubilee Crown (5 pound coin). It so happens I have one on the site for GBP6.00 and could also throw in a plastic capsule for it.

I'm really not sure what a farthing would have bought back then. I'm sure it would have been far more than we would consider a quarter of a penny these days.

The highest denomination coin or note circulating in 1799 was a Guinea, valued at One pound and One shilling (GBP1.05 decimal) so if we compare that to the highest denomination of today...The fifty Pound note then perhaps the Farthing was worth around 50 x 0.25 which is 12.5p....Then you have to take into account 204 years worth of Inflation/deflation, so really I have no idea.

By way of hard evidence I do own an 1810 London Newspaper and it's price in 1810 was 6 and a half pence and it looks like a posh one!

The farthing stopped being produced in 1956 because it was seen as such a small amount that it wasn't needed. (Like the Half Pee in 1983).

Thanks for using the Forum again!

Chris

www.predecimal.com