How to Identify the British Farthing

Start with size and metal. The farthing is a small copper coin about 22–23 mm across and only a few grams—clearly smaller and lighter than a penny or halfpenny of the same period. The colour should be a warm brown or chocolate copper, not the white of silver or the yellow of brass. If a small copper coin is much bigger, it is more likely a halfpenny or penny rather than a farthing.

Read the obverse portrait and legend. A George II farthing shows a laureate male bust facing left, with a Latin inscription based on GEORGIVS II REX. The 1730s coins use the earlier 'young head' portrait; a heavier, older-looking bust indicates the later farthings of the 1740s–1750s. The direction the bust faces and the wording of the legend together confirm the monarch.

Check the reverse. The defining image is Britannia: a seated female figure facing left, holding a spray and a spear with an oval shield beside her, the word BRITANNIA above and the date in the exergue below. This Britannia design runs across several reigns of British copper, so the reverse tells you the coin is a farthing or halfpenny but not by itself which king—use the obverse and date to fix that.

Watch for look-alikes and counterfeits. Georgian small change was widely imitated, and lightweight or crudely struck contemporary counterfeit farthings and halfpennies circulated alongside genuine Royal Mint coins; blurry lettering, a soft portrait or an underweight, spongy fabric can betray one. Later bronze farthings of Victoria and after are a different alloy and portrait, and worn halfpennies can be mistaken for farthings if size is not checked.

For authentication, weigh and measure the coin against the copper farthing standard, confirm the GEORGIVS II REX and BRITANNIA legends, and look for even, age-appropriate wear rather than an artificially bright or reddish 'cleaned' surface. On heavily worn pieces the date is often the last detail to settle an identification, so examine the exergue closely; for anything that looks unusually sharp or scarce, compare it to a reliable reference before assuming value.