FARTHING (A.S. Jeortha,

See also:

• FOURTH

fourth,

See also:

• RING (O.E. hring; a word common to Teutonic languages; and probably cognate with the Lat. circus, Gr. KtpKOS or KpLKOS, Skt'. chakra, wheel, circle, cf. also " harangue "); in art, a band of circular shape of varying sizes, made of any material and used f

ring, diminutive)  , the smallest English coin, equal to the fourth of a penny . It became a regular part of the coinage from the reign of Edward I., and was, up to the reign of Mary, a silver coin . No farthing was struck in the reign of Elizabeth, but a silver three-farthing piece was issued in that reign, with a profile bust of the queen crowned, with a rose behind her head, and inscribed " E.D.G . Rosa sine spina." The copper farthing was first introduced in the reign of James I., a patent being given to Lord Harington of Exton in 1613 for the issue of copper tokens of this denomination . It was nominally of six grains' weight, but was usually heavier . Properly, however, the copper farthing dates from the reign of Charles II., in whose reign also was issued a tin farthing, with a small copper plug in the centre, and an inscription on the edge, " Nummorum famulus 1684." No farthings were actually issued in the reign of Queen Anne, though a number of patterns were prepared (see NUMISMATICS: medieval section, England) . In 186o the'copper farthing was superseded by one struck in bronze . In 1842 a proclamation was issued giving currency to half-farthings, and there were several issues, but they were de-monetized in 1869 . In 1897 the practice was adopted of darkening farthings before issue, to prevent their being mistaken for half-sovereigns .