1 Farthing - George IV 2nd issue (1826–1830)

One row for each year the 1 Farthing - George IV 2nd issue was struck. Prices are medians of verified sold listings matched to that year from the listing: circulated is worn condition up to Extremely Fine, uncirculated is About Uncirculated or better. A count in brackets means fewer than three sales behind the figure; a grey figure marked "type" is the median across every year, shown where that year has no sale of its own yet. Most types have been searched year by year only since October 2026, so later years are still filling in. Use the grade table below for a price by condition across all years.

About the 1826 1 Farthing - George IV 2nd issue

The 1826 1 Farthing - George IV 2nd issue is a circulating 1 farthing coin issued from 1826 to 1830, struck in copper. It weighs 4.72g and measures 22mm across. Reverse design: Seated figure of Britannia facing right, trident in left hand, shield with Union flag in right, legend around, national flower emblems in exergue.

A mintage of 6,666,240 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held. It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1869), so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

During 1826 the farthing took the bare-head portrait already used on the new penny and halfpenny of 1825, and William Wyon's new type replaced the laureate bust of 1821. Tony Clayton records that farthings were struck every year from 1821 to 1837 except 1824, 1832 and 1833, so this second type runs from 1826 to the end of the reign in 1830. Size and weight were unchanged at 22 mm and 4.72 g.

Coin Hunter gives 2,365,440 for each of 1827, 1828 and 1830 and 1,505,280 for 1829, the lowest of the bare-head dates. Coinvarieties' rounded figures, taken from Krause, agree. The 1826 total of 6,666,240 covers both the old and new types and cannot be divided between them.

The obverse has a bare head of the king left with GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA and the date below. The Royal Mint Museum notes that Wyon engraved George IV's coinage portraits from busts by the sculptor Francis Chantrey. The king had disliked Pistrucci's earlier laureate portrait, and Pistrucci refused to copy another artist's bust. The regnal number now uses IV rather than IIII.

The reverse keeps Britannia seated right with trident and shield and BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF: around, now with an ornament in the exergue instead of the date. The Royal Mint Museum records Wyon as designer of both sides and a plain edge. Clayton notes that the reverse was turned to medal orientation, both sides the same way up, and all later farthings except some proofs follow this arrangement.

Collecting notes

The hair above the ear and the lines of Britannia's shield are the high points to check for wear. Coin orientation (one side inverted) on a bare-head farthing would be unusual, since Clayton describes the change as applying to all later farthings except some proofs.

Proofs were struck in 1826 for that year's proof sets, and the Royal Mint Museum holds one. The first issue farthing shares the 1826 date. Copper farthings ceased to be legal tender on 31 December 1869.