Great Britain 1774 farthing
The first specimen was lot 23207 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2023), where it sold for $2,640. The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Farthing, 1774. London Mint. George III. PCGS MS-64 Red. The only example for the date to garner the red designation from PCGS, this glistening and wholly shimmering near-Gem exudes tremendous beauty and breathtaking quality, with a dazzling appearance and a rather sharp and well executed strike as well." The second specimen was lot 75677 in Stack's Bowers Collectors Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, September 2025), where it sold for $408. The catalog description[2] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN. Farthing (1/4 Penny), 1774. London Mint. George III. PCGS MS-64 Red Brown. From the Richard August Collection." This type was issued 1771-75. It is not rare but it did little to alleviate the small change shortage of the late eighteenth century. The next farthing issue is dated 1799.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.93 g, copper, 23 mm diameter, plain edge.
Catalog reference: S-3775; KM-602.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- Freeman, Michael J., The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain, Rev. Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2006.
- Peck, C. Wilson, English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum, 1558-1958, 2nd Ed., London: Oxford University Press, 1970.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The January 2023 NYINC Auction: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Taraszka Collection and the Mark and Dottie Salton Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
- [2]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, September 2025 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, including Selections from the Richard Margolis Collection and Selections from the L.E. Bruun Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2025.
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