Farthing (English coin) facts for kids
The farthing was a very small coin used in the Kingdom of England a long time ago. It was worth one quarter of a penny. This means you needed four farthings to make just one penny! The word 'farthing' comes from an old English word, feorthing, which simply means a "fourth part."
Contents
What Was the Farthing?
Farthings were first made in England in the 1200s. They were used until 1707, when the Kingdom of England became part of the new Kingdom of Great Britain.
A Tiny Silver Coin
The earliest farthings were made of silver. They were incredibly small, only about 10 millimeters across. That's about the size of a pea! They were also very light, weighing just over 0.4 grams. Because they were so tiny and old, not many of these silver farthings still exist today.
From Silver to Copper
Later on, farthings started to be made from different metals. The first copper farthings were made when King James I was ruling. In the late 1600s, some English farthings were even made from tin.
Why the Farthing Disappeared
By 1953, the farthing coin was worth very little. It was so small in value that people found it hard to use for buying things. Imagine trying to buy something with a coin worth almost nothing! Because of its low value, the farthing was minted for the last time in 1953. It officially stopped being a legal coin you could use on January 1, 1961.
Images for kids
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Edward I London farthing from 1279.
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A special design for a farthing from the time of Oliver Cromwell.
