1 Farthing - George III Pattern (1797)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1797 |
| Denomination | 1 Farthing |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Copper (Bronzed Finish) |
| Diameter | 40.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | Conrad Heinrich Küchler |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate, draped and armored bust of King George III right.
GEORGIUS III. D.G.REX
Seated figure of Britannia left with Union shield, holding trident and olive branch; behind to left, ship sailing right.
BRITANNIA
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Affiliate1 Farthing - George III Pattern price history
Daily limit reached1 Farthing - George III Pattern 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 | £360.00 🔒 | £360.00 (1) | – | £360.00 – £360.00 | 0 | 1 | 06-03-2005 | |
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| UNC | £440.00 🔒 | £440.00 (1) | – | £440.00 – £440.00 | 0 | 1 | 06-09-2015 | |
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| VF | £42.14 🔒 | £81.07 (2) | – | £42.14 – £120.00 | 0 | 2 | 17-09-2021 | |
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| PR-62 | £500.00 🔒 | £500.00 (1) | – | £500.00 – £500.00 | 0 | 1 | 06-09-2015 | |
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About the 1797 1 Farthing - George III Pattern
The 1797 1 Farthing - George III Pattern is a collector 1 farthing coin, struck in copper (Bronzed Finish). It measures 40mm across. Reverse design: Seated figure of Britannia left with Union shield, holding trident and olive branch; behind to left, ship sailing right.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1797 1 Farthing - George III Pattern worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1797 1 Farthing - George III Pattern run from £81.07 to £500 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
Was a farthing issued in 1797?
No. Wikipedia, citing Lobel, says Boulton's 1797 contract for copper coins covered pennies and twopences but not farthings, although he prepared several farthing patterns. Coin Hunter lists 1797 farthings as patterns only. The first Soho farthings for circulation are dated 1799.
Who designed the 1797 pattern farthing?
Conrad Heinrich Küchler, Boulton's engraver at Soho, whose K appears in relief on the truncation of the bust. Spink attributes the pattern to him, and the Royal Mint Museum identifies the K on the Soho coppers of 1797 as his initial.
Is my 1797 pattern farthing an original or a restrike?
Many are later strikings. The Royal Mint Museum records its own example as made by W. J. Taylor, who acquired original Soho dies in 1848 and restruck earlier coins and patterns, and Spink describes recent examples as late Soho restrikes.
How do I identify the 1797 1 Farthing - George III Pattern?
Check the diameter 40mm and the metal (copper (Bronzed Finish)) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
In 1797 the Treasury gave Matthew Boulton a contract to strike official copper coins at his steam-powered Soho Mint near Birmingham. The result was the cartwheel penny and twopence, which the Royal Mint Museum notes were made legal tender by a proclamation of 26 July 1797. Wikipedia, citing Lobel, records that the contract did not include farthings, though Boulton prepared several patterns for one.
This is one of those patterns. Coin Hunter lists 1797 farthings as patterns only, and no farthing went into circulation until Boulton's licence of 1799. No number struck is recorded. A North East Museums example measures 25 mm and weighs 7.4 g, and Spink records weights of 7.48 g and 7.57 g for two others.
The obverse carries a laureate and draped bust of George III facing right, with Conrad Heinrich Küchler's initial K in relief on the truncation and the legend GEORGIUS III. D.G.REX as transcribed by North East Museums. The Royal Mint Museum identifies the K on the 1797 Soho coppers as the mark of Küchler, the German engraver who worked for Boulton.
The reverse shows Britannia seated left with olive branch, trident and shield, SOHO on the rock and BRITANNIA with the date 1797. The edge is plain.
Varieties and errors
The main question for any example is when it was struck. Spink describes recent examples as late Soho strikings or restrikes, and the Royal Mint Museum records its own piece (RMM 1124, 6.91 g, listed in its 1906 catalogue) as made by W. J. Taylor. Museums Victoria notes that Taylor acquired many original Soho dies in 1848 and restruck earlier Soho coins, including patterns. Spink adds that Peck lists the pattern in gold and in bronzed copper, while a copper example from the Selig collection is listed as Peck 1199a.
Collecting notes
Look for the K in relief on the truncation and SOHO on the rock, and check for a plain edge. Museums Victoria notes that Taylor usually repolished and re-engraved parts of the old dies, so compare die details with a catalogued original before accepting an early Soho attribution.
Tony Clayton also records a 1798 pattern in cartwheel style, and the farthing that finally circulated is the 1799 Soho farthing.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- History of the British farthing, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- 1797 Coin Values, George III, Coin Hunter (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III, Pattern Farthing, 1797, by Kuechler, late Soho (auction 22006, lot 288), Spink (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III, Restrike Pattern Farthing, 1797, late Soho (auction 25124, lot 238), Spink (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin, farthing, pattern, 1797 (TWCMS : M1291), North East Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III pattern farthing, 1797 (RMM 1124), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- W.J.Taylor, Mint, London, United Kingdom, Museums Victoria (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Penny, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Farthings, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
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