The wide date ranges associated with some of the later coins reflect the difficulty of relating
the farthings to their more accurately dateable penny
counterparts, and even the relative
chronology of some of the types is speculative. For discussion on dating
and chronology, see the section entitled Observations and rationale.
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Type 1a (1279) -
Spink 1443; North 1051/1
Farthings of Type 1a have Crown A, a bifoliate crown with no
intermediate ornaments between the central fleur and the side fleurs.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N may be normal or
reverse-barred, the two forms sometimes occurring on the same coin. S is composite. There
is sometimes a colon (:) between the two words of the obverse legend.
All farthings in this Group (i.e. Types 1a-3c) were struck from 0.765 fine
silver, rather than the sterling standard of 0.925 used for all other
denominations, in order to increase their size.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX
Reverse legend: LONDONIENSIS; LONDRIENSIS (rare)
Mints: London only
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Type 1c (1279) -
Spink 1443A; North 1051/2
Farthings of Type 1c have Crown B, a trifoliate crown with no
intermediate ornaments between the central fleur and the side fleurs.
The outer leaf of the right side-fleur, however, is sometimes missing
due to the punch becoming damaged, as on the coin illustrated. The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N may be normal or
reverse-barred, the two forms sometimes occurring on the same coin. S is composite. There
is sometimes a colon (:) between the two words of the obverse legend.
See Observations and rationale
for comment on Type 1c.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX
Reverse legend: LONDONIENSIS; LONDRIENSIS (rare)
Mints: London only
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Type 2 (1280)
-
Spink 1444; 1452, 1454; North 1052
Farthings of Type 2 have Crown C, a tall trifoliate crown
with ornaments between the central fleur and the side fleurs.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open.
N is usually reverse-barred, but, possibly as a result of muling with
earlier reverse dies, it is barred normally on some coins. S is
composite. The colon found on some earlier coins between the two words
of the obverse legend does not occur on this type.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX
Reverse legend: LONDONIENSIS; VILLA BRISTOLIE; CIVITAS
EBORACI
Mints: London, Bristol, York
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Type 3c (1280) -
Spink 1445, 1452, 1454; North 1053/1
Farthings of Type 3c have Crown D, another trifoliate crown with
intermediate ornaments, but it has shorter side fleurs and a more curved headband than the preceding
type.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N
is usually barred normally, but, possibly as a result of muling with earlier
reverse dies, it is reverse-barred on some coins. S is composite.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX
Reverse legend: LONDONIENSIS; VILLA BRISTOLIE; VILLA
BRISTOLLIE; CIVITAS EBORACI
Mints: London, Bristol, York
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Type 3d (southern
mints) (1280-1281) - Spink 1445A, 1452, 1453; North 1053/2
Farthings of Type 3d usually have the same crown (Crown D) as Type 3c, but
their obverse differs from all preceding types in having a new legend
and no beaded inner circle. A few London coins of this type have
Crown E, which is readily distinguishable from Crown D in having very
large arrowheads as intermediate ornaments. See Observations and rationale
for further comment on this crown. From this type onwards (until the
star-marked issue of 1335), the coins are of sterling silver, and
consequently tend to be slightly smaller than their alloyed
predecessors.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N
is normal. S is composite. This type and the following type differ
only in respect of their mints, and are often
combined under the designation 3de.
Obverse legend: E R ANGLIE
Reverse legend: LONDONIENSIS; VILLA BRISTOLLIE;
CIVITAS LINCOL'
Mints: London, Bristol, Lincoln
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Type 3e (northern mints)
(1280-1281) - Spink 1453A, 1454; North 1053/2
Farthings of Type 3e have the same crown (Crown D) and other details as
Type
3d.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N
is normal. S is composite. This type and the preceding type differ
only in respect of their mints, and are often
combined under the designation 3de.
Obverse legend: E R ANGLIE
Reverse legend: NOVI CASTRI; CIVITAS EBORACI
Mints: Newcastle, York
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Type 3g (1280-1281) -
Spink 1446, 1452; North 1053/3
Farthings of Type 3g are similar to those of Types 3d and 3e, but have
Crown F, a
new trifoliate crown on which the outer leaf of the side fleurs is more
spread, and the middle leaf of the side fleurs points outwards.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N
is normal. S is composite.
See Observations and rationale
for comment on Type 3g.
Obverse legend: E R ANGLIE
Reverse legend: LONDONIENSIS; VILLA BRISTOLLIE
Mints: London, Bristol
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Type 4de (1285-1289) -
Spink 1446A; North 1054/1
Farthings of Type 4de usually have Crown D, but Crown F is also
rarely found. The face and
obverse legend are as those of Types 3c-3g, but the coins are readily distinguishable, as they have a new reverse legend. The new legend is the
form used on all subsequent farthings in the series covered by the
present article.
The letter A is barred, but the bar is often thin and weak. E is open. N
is normal (sometimes weakly barred) or unbarred. S is usually composite.
Obverse legend: E R ANGLIE
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Farthings of Type 5 have Crown G, which is markedly
larger than all the preceding types, and has the appearance of being
too large for the king's head. The face is also larger and more
rounded. The letter A is weakly barred or unbarred. E is open. N
is normal (sometimes weakly barred) or unbarred. S is composite or
one-piece. On some coins the letter G
has a long descending terminal.
Obverse legend: E R ANGLIE
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Farthings of Type 6-7 have Crown H, which is of more
slender proportions and less splayed than the preceding type. The same
crown is also used on Type 9a coins, where
it becomes damaged. The letter A is weakly barred or unbarred. E is open. N
is normal (sometimes weakly barred) or unbarred. R is wedge-tailed or
crescent-tailed. S is composite or one-piece. On some coins the letter G
has a long descending terminal (as on the example
illustrated). Many coins have a swollen cheek on the right side of the
king's face.
Eyes may be almond-shaped or pellets.
Obverse legend: E R ANGLIE; E R ANCLIIE (error)
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Farthings of Type 8 have Crown J, which is a new trifoliate crown with very large side fleurs on long stalks.
The coins can be distinguished from the foregoing types by another change
to the obverse legend. The letter A is unbarred. E is closed. N
is normal (sometimes weakly barred) or unbarred. R is wedge-tailed. S
is of thin, one-piece type.
Obverse legend: E R ANGL DN
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Type 9a (1294-1301)
-
Spink 1449; North 1057/1
Farthings of Type 9a have Crown H, as Type 6-7, but during this issue the left spearhead and the pointed middle
leaf of the right fleur become damaged. The middle
leaf of the central fleur also shortens with progressive wear of the
punch. Several different faces are
used, the first being the same as one used on Type 6-7, the last being
the one that is also used on Type 9b. The letter A is unbarred. E is closed. N
is normal (sometimes weakly barred) or unbarred. R has a notched or
crescent-shaped tail. S is one-piece.
Obverse legend: E R ANGL DN; E R ANGL AN (error)
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Type 9b (1299-1301)
- Spink 1449A; North 1057/2
Farthings of Type 9b have Crown K or Crown L, both of which are
new. All coins have a small face, which first occurs on late coins of
Type 9a.
The letter A is unbarred. E is closed. N
is weakly barred or unbarred. R has a notched tail. S is one-piece. Mules
exist with
the obverse of Type 9b (Crown K) and the reverse of Type
10.
See Observations and rationale
for comment on Type 9b.
Obverse legend: E R ANGL DN
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Type 10 (1301-1310) -
Spink 1450; North 1058
Farthings of Type 10 have Crown M, a new bifoliate crown with a very low
central fleur. The beaded obverse inner circle is restored
with this type and remains on all subsequent farthings covered by the
present article. The letter A is unbarred. E is closed and may be
round or angle-backed. It is sometimes from a C punch to which a
central bar has been manually added to the die. N is usually narrow
with incurved sides and barred, but occasionally unbarred or straight
sided and barred. S is one-piece. W is sometimes in the form of two
distinctly separate V's. (The illustrated coin has an error in
which the E and D of EDWARDVS are reversed.) See Observations and rationale
for comment on Type 10.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX; EDWARDVS REX A; EDWARDVS REX AN;
EDWARDVS REX ANG
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Type 10-11 (1305-1335)
- Spink 1474; North 1070/1
Farthings of Type 10-11 have Crown N, a new bifoliate crown with a taller and
differently shaped central fleur to the preceding type. The headband of the crown breaks up
on the punch from early in its use, and is incomplete or missing on the
great majority of coins. Several varieties of this type exist with
obverse legends that begin in odd positions (2 o'clock, 6 o'clock,
etc.), rather than the usual 12 o'clock position. The letter A is unbarred. E is
angle-backed and closed. N is
usually
narrow with incurved sides and unbarred, but a faint bar can be seen
on some coins. The two uprights of the N often merge and the letter
looks like a sub-rectangular block with incurved sides. S is one-piece.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX; EDWARDVS REX A; EDWARDVS REX AN;
EDWADVS REX AN (error); EDWARDVS REX AX (error); EDWARDVS RX AN
(error)
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Type 13 (1305-1335) -
Spink 1474; North 1070/2
Farthings of Type 13 have Crown P, a crown with a distinctive left
side fleur the inner leaf of which curls downwards and touches the
crown band such that it forms a closed loop. The initial cross is
usually made up of four wedges, which when slightly worn has the
appearance of a square with concave sides. However, a small number of the
coins (seemingly those with the longer forms of obverse legend) have a
normal cross pattée. The letter A is unbarred. E is round-backed and closed. N is
usually unbarred. S is one-piece.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX; EDWARDVS REX A; EDWARDVS REX
AN
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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Type 15d (1305-1335)
- Spink -; North -
Farthings of Type 15d have Crown R, a new neat symmetrical bifoliate crown
with tall side fleurs. The initial
mark is a cross pattée. The letter A is unbarred. E is angle-backed
and closed. N is normal. At first sight the letter S appears to be a
one-piece type, but under magnification it can be seen to be of
two-part composite form.
Obverse legend: EDWARDVS REX AG
Reverse legend: CIVITAS LONDON
Mints: London only
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