1 Farthing - James II 1st type

Reverse

Seated figure of Britannia facing left, holding spear in left hand, olive branch in right, shield with Union flag resting at left, legend around.

Script: Latin

Lettering: BRITAN NIA ·

Edge

Incuse date

Comment

The original standard weight for these pieces was 80 to the pound avoirdupois (1/5 ounce or 87.5 grains each).

Following is an excerpt from the Department of Special Collections at the University of Notre Dame Libraries:

"James II (1685-1688) started the production of a plugged tin halfpenny in 1685 and continued production through 1687. During his reign the warrant to mint tin coins was renewed by Duncome, Hoare and Neale on March 11, 1686. A few tin farthings were minted in 1684 with larger quantities produced in 1685-1687. Tin was a much less expensive metal than copper so that the intrinsic value of these coins was far lower. This yielded higher minting profits for the king, but the low intrinsic value turned public opinion against the coins. In order to make these tin coins more acceptable James returned to the heavier weight of 40 halfpence to the pound, producing an average weight of 175 grains per halfpenny. As tin was cheap and readily assessable, a number of counterfeit halfpence appeared in circulation. James used a bust left for his gold and silver coins but like Charles used the opposite profile on his halfpence and farthings, which displayed a bust right."

Interesting fact