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1 Farthing - James I Harington issue, type 1a
| Issuer | England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1613 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Farthing (1⁄960) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A crowned harp is centrally positioned within the field, serving as the principal device. The legend continues around the periphery, completing the full royal title begun on the obverse. A fret or Harington Knot appears at the commencement of the legend, serving as the initial mark characteristic of this Harington type 1a issue. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Harington farthing was the first officially sanctioned copper coinage in English history, authorized under a patent granted to John Harington, 1st Baron Harington of Exton, in 1613. The Crown had long resisted base-metal coinage on principle, and the patent was a compromise — private issue under royal license rather than a Royal Mint product, with Harington paying a fee to the king. He died the same year the patent was granted, and the operation passed to his son.
Type 1a is distinguished from later variants by its relatively crude die work, a product of the informal manufacturing arrangements outside the Mint's control.