2016-12-10 Sat

Thomas Jefferson worked on his decimal plan of cents, dollars, and eagles for America after researching about the foreign coins in circulation.

The half-cent came in very late as compared to the cents, dollars, and eagles. One of the publications mentioned his statement that the half cent would be equal to 5/1000 or .005 of a dollar almost like the farthing of England. The dollar was inspired from the Spanish 8-real coin.

A farthing is a 1/4th penny and comes from the word “fourthing”. They were imported to America for 100s of years but were never struck. The Pitt farthing, a rare smaller-sized version of the circa 1766 Pitt token or Pitt halfpenny was intended for circulation.

Tiny 1613 Harrington farthings, struck in England were found in Jamestown and Wolstenholme Towne. Research shows that these finds dated back to the times when the town was destructed by the natives in 1622. It is the earliest English coin in American soil.

Irish farthings of Queen Elizabeth I, dated 1601 and 1602, have also been found at Jamestown, and other 17th century farthing types have been recovered at sites up and down the Eastern seaboard. These coins depicted all three King Georges.

Half­pence, American state coppers, and similar coppers were cut in half to make “American” farthing. In 1750, the ship Mermaid delivered numerous farthings and more half­pence dated 1749 to Boston for circulation. HHigh-grade pieces are difficult to collect but circulated 1749 farthings are easy to find.