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1 Farthing - James I Harington issue, type 1c
| Issuer | Monarchy of England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1614 |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field displays the Irish harp, surmounted by a royal crown, rendered in relief with clearly delineated strings — a heraldic device representing the Kingdom of Ireland as part of James I's composite monarchy. The harp is depicted in a simplified but recognisable style consistent with early Stuart coinage conventions. A surrounding Latin legend, continuing from the obverse, reads FRA. ET. HIB. REX, denoting James's claimed title as King of France and Ireland. The flan edges are irregular and the legend partially runs off the coin, characteristic of the hand-struck Harington farthing issues. |
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| Mintage | ND (1614) - IACO D*G* MAG BRIT (BMC 37) - ND (1614) - IACO D.G. MAG BRIT (BMC 38) - |
| Additional information |
The Harington farthing was the first officially sanctioned copper coinage in English history, born from a patent granted to John Harington of Kelston — whose son Lord Harington of Exton held the licence by 1614 — after decades of informal merchant tokens filling the void left by the Crown's refusal to mint low-denomination coins. James I had long resisted copper coinage on principle, considering it beneath royal dignity, and the compromise was a private patent rather than direct Crown production. The patentee profited from manufacture; the Crown collected a fee.
Type 1c is distinguished from earlier Harington varieties by subtle die adjustments documented by numismatists working from the Norweb collection studies.