1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue Proof (1799)
Circulating version: 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1799 |
| Denomination | 1 Farthing |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | 1869 |
| Composition | Gold plated copper |
| Diameter | 23.5mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Engrailed |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | Conrad Heinrich Küchler |
| Rev. artist | Conrad Heinrich Küchler |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate and draped bust of King George III facing right, legend around, date below.
Seated figure of Britannia facing left, trident in left hand, shield with Union flag resting on left, olive branch in raised right hand, legend above, denomination in exergue.
Proof Farthing market value
Find this on eBay
AffiliateProof Farthing price history
Daily limit reachedProof Farthing value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FDC | £320.00 🔒 | £320.00 (1) | – | £320.00 – £320.00 | 0 | 1 | 07-06-2015 | |
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| PR-65 | £160.00 🔒 | £210.00 (2) | – | £50.00 – £420.00 | 0 | 28 | 03-03-2024 | |
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About the 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue – Proof
The 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue – Proof is a collector 1 farthing coin, struck in gold plated copper. It measures 23.5mm across. Reverse design: Seated figure of Britannia facing left, trident in left hand, shield with Union flag resting on left, olive branch in raised right hand, legend above, denomination in exergue.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1869), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue – Proof worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue – Proof run from £210 to £320 across 2 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How is the 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue – Proof different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue, not the coin found in change.
How do I identify the 1799 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue – Proof?
Check the diameter 23.5mm and the metal (gold plated copper) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
This is a collector version of the 1 Farthing - George III 3rd issue. The history below is that coin's; the mintage, varieties and collecting notes on its page do not apply to this strike.
Royal Mint copper ended in 1775, and by the 1790s most copper in circulation was counterfeit. In 1797 Matthew Boulton won a contract to strike pennies and twopences at his steam-powered Soho Mint near Birmingham, and in 1799, Wikipedia records, he was licensed to make halfpennies and farthings too. By then copper had risen in price: Wikipedia notes that a pound of copper made 16 pence of coin in 1797 but 18 pence in 1799, so the new coins were lighter and of conventional style, without the cartwheel's broad rim.
These were the first farthings struck by steam power and the first official farthings since 1775. Coin Hunter gives a mintage of 4,225,428, all dated 1799.
The obverse shows a laureate and draped bust of George III facing right, with GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX and the date 1799 below. The reverse has Britannia seated left on a rock with olive branch, trident and union shield, a ship in the distance, BRITANNIA above and 1 FARTHING in the exergue. Wikipedia and Tony Clayton note that this was the first British coin to show its denomination, and Wikipedia adds that it was the first with the date on the monarch's side.
Both sides are the work of Conrad Heinrich Küchler, Boulton's German engraver. The Royal Mint Museum records an engrailed edge, a grained band around the middle, and the two sides set upside down to each other. Its four examples weigh 5.74 g to 6.35 g.
Sources
- History of the British farthing, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- History of the British penny (1714 to 1901), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Seaby 3779: Goldberg sale 31, lot 2503, proof farthing 1799, Wildwinds (catalogue text courtesy of Goldberg Auctioneers) (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Farthings, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- 1799 Coin Values, George III, Coin Hunter (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III farthings, 1799 (RMM 1125 to 1128), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin, farthing, 1799 (TWCMS : M1286), North East Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III, Pattern Farthing, 1799, by C H Küchler, late Soho, gilt copper (auction 25124, lot 238A), Spink (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Conrad Heinrich Küchler, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Collection of Soho Coinage, including Farthing 1799 (auction 25124, lot 237), Spink (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1799 farthing, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
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