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1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall (1844)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1844 |
| Denomination | 1 Farthing |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | 1862 |
| Weight | 4.000g |
| Diameter | 22.0mm |
| Thickness | 1.00mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
"RUSHBROOKE'S ESTABLISHMENT", surrounding "FAMILY[,] TEA AND GROCERY
"LET WILLENHALL FLOURISH 1844", surrounding a lock, a bolt and a currycomb
1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall market value
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Daily limit reached1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VF | £10.80 🔒 eBay | £9.99 | – | £3.20 – £17.00 | 5 | 5 | 24-06-2026 | |
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About the 1844 1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall
The 1844 1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall is a collector 1 farthing coin. It weighs 4g and measures 22mm across. Reverse design: "LET WILLENHALL FLOURISH 1844", surrounding a lock, a bolt and a currycomb.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1862), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1844 1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall worth?
The 1844 1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £9.99 in VF, the median of its verified sales.
Is the Rushbrooke's Willenhall farthing legal tender?
No. It is a private token struck for Rushbrooke's Family Tea and Grocery establishment in Willenhall, dated 1844. It was never issued by the Royal Mint, and an Act of 1817 had already forbidden the manufacture of private token coinage, so it was never a coin in law.
Why does the token show a lock, a bolt and a currycomb?
They are the products of Willenhall itself. The town, formerly in Staffordshire, is known for making locks and keys, and by the end of the 17th century its hand trades already included curry combs, bolts and latches. The token pairs these tools with the motto LET WILLENHALL FLOURISH.
How many Rushbrooke's farthings were made?
No figure is recorded. It was a private order placed by a shopkeeper, not an official coinage, so there are no mint records. Collectors judge how often it appears from the token references, chiefly Bell's Unofficial Farthings and Paul and Bente Withers' The Token Book 2.
How is it different from the Austin's Willenhall token?
Both are dated 1844 and carry the same Willenhall motto around a lock, a bolt and a comb. The difference is the shop: one names Rushbrooke's establishment, the other AUSTIN'S FAMILY TEA AND GROCERY ESTABLISHMENT. Read the name side to tell them apart.
How do I identify the 1844 1 Farthing Rushbrooke Farthing, Willenhall?
Check the weight 4g and diameter 22mm against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Rushbrooke's farthing is a shopkeeper's token from Willenhall, dated 1844 on its face. It was struck for a family tea and grocery business and was never issued by the Royal Mint, so it was not legal tender. In numismatic terms a legal tender coin comes from a governmental authority, while a token is issued by a private entity and has narrower use.
An Act of 1817 had forbidden the manufacture of private token coinage under severe penalties. Even so, farthing-sized pieces reappeared under Victoria. The Canadian Token Collectors Club archive of Bill McKivor calls them unofficial farthings, struck mainly by merchants between 1837 and 1870 and used both as advertising pieces and as small change where needed. No mintage is recorded for this one.
Chippenham Museum, which holds an example 22 mm across, records the shop side as RUSHBROOKE'S ESTABLISHMENT around FAMILY TEA AND GROCERY. The other side reads LET WILLENHALL FLOURISH with the date 1844, around a lock, a bolt and a currycomb. There is no portrait of the Queen and the maker is not recorded.
The tools are the town's own trades. Willenhall, formerly in Staffordshire, is known for making locks and keys, and by the end of the 17th century its hand trades already included curry combs, bolts and latches. The same motto and tools appear on a second Willenhall token of 1844 issued for Austin's Family Tea and Grocery Establishment, recorded by Norfolk Museums.
Collecting notes
Tokens like this are collected alongside, not within, the regal coin series. The standard works are R. C. Bell's Unofficial Farthings 1820 to 1870 and the 1994 Bell, Whitmore and Sweeney supplement, which concords to Bell's numbers. Paul and Bente Withers' The Token Book 2 lists about 1,100 unofficial farthings and researches each issuer from directories and census returns, so it is the place to look for the Rushbrooke family.
Because the Willenhall side is shared with the Austin's token, always read the shop side before attributing a piece. Check that RUSHBROOKE'S is legible and that the lock, bolt and comb are clear, since these are the details that identify the type.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Trade token, Rushbrooke's Establishment, Willenhall, 1844 (CHIYH:2024.67.6), Chippenham Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Token, Warwickshire token of Austin's Grocery, Willenhall, 1844 (NWHCM : 1999.81.176), Norfolk Museums Service, via Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 19th Century English Unofficial Farthings 1838-1870: Introduction, Canadian Token Collectors Club (Bill McKivor archive) (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Token coin, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Penny (British pre-decimal coin), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Willenhall, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- O'Brien Coin Guide: The Unofficial Irish Token Coinages of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), The Old Currency Exchange (read 10 Oct 2026)
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