The tin-with-copper-plug farthings of William and Mary were a direct consequence of English tin miners lobbying the Crown for relief. Cornish tin production had collapsed in profitability, and the decision to mandate tin as the primary coinage metal for small denominations was essentially an economic subsidy dressed as monetary policy. The central copper plug was added not for aesthetics but to defeat counterfeiters, who found pure tin too easy to cast at home.
The "large busts" variety distinguishes the earlier striking years from the later reduced portrait dies. Edge lettering on these pieces — recording the year of manufacture — means individual specimens can often be dated more precisely than the catalog range suggests.
The tin-with-copper-plug farthings of William and Mary were a direct consequence of English tin miners lobbying the Crown for relief. Cornish tin production had collapsed in profitability, and the decision to mandate tin as the primary coinage metal for small denominations was essentially an economic subsidy dressed as monetary policy. The central copper plug was added not for aesthetics but to defeat counterfeiters, who found pure tin too easy to cast at home.
The "large busts" variety distinguishes the earlier striking years from the later reduced portrait dies. Edge lettering on these pieces — recording the year of manufacture — means individual specimens can often be dated more precisely than the catalog range suggests.