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1 Farthing - William IV
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1831-1837 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Farthing (1⁄960) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Seated figure of Britannia facing left, helmeted and draped in classical robes, holding a trident upright in her right hand and resting her left hand upon a shield bearing the Union device, which leans against her side. Beneath her feet, a decorative sprig of rose, shamrock, and thistle is positioned in the exergue, symbolising the union of England, Ireland, and Scotland. The peripheral legend BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: curves around the upper and right fields, with a beaded border encircling the entire design. |
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| Additional information |
William IV's farthing issues were produced at a moment when the copper coinage was already philosophically obsolete — the Royal Mint and the Treasury were actively debating a shift to bronze, a transition that would finally arrive under Victoria in 1860. These Matron Head coppers were essentially a holding pattern, continuing the machinery and dies of the late Georgian system while parliament argued over decimal proposals that went nowhere for another generation.
The 1831 issue was the first coinage struck in William's name, following a gap in farthing production during the final years of George IV.