Editing Half farthing (section)

==History==
The [[Royal Mint]] first produced half farthings in 1828 for use in [[British Ceylon]],<ref name="mint">{{cite web |url=https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/journal/curators-corner/fractional-farthings/ |title=Fractional Farthings|publisher=Royal Mint Museum|access-date=1 May 2023}}</ref> using dies by [[William Wyon]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=397}}</ref> The [[Obverse and reverse|obverse]] of the coin bore a left-facing portrait of [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]], with the legend {{small|GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA}} and the date, while the [[Obverse and reverse|reverse]] showed a seated [[Britannia]] with shield, facing right and holding a trident, with the inscription {{small|BRITANNIAR: REX FID: DEF:}}.{{efn|In full, ''Georgius IV Dei Gratia Britanniarum Rex Fidei Defensor'' (George IV, [[By the Grace of God]], King of the Britains, [[Defender of the Faith]]) }} The coins were made of [[copper]], weighed 2.4 grammes, and had a diameter of 18 millimetres.<ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=394-398}}</ref> The mint produced a second issue of George IV half farthings in 1830.<ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=398}}</ref>

The mint produced one issue of half farthings during the reign of [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] in 1837. The obverse bore a right-facing portrait of William IV by Wyon with the legend {{small|GULIELMUS IIII DEI GRATIA}}{{efn|In full, ''Gulielmus IV Dei Gratia Britanniarum Rex Fidei Defensor'' (William IV, By the Grace of God, King of the Britains, Defender of the Faith)}} and the date. The coins used the same reverse dies as the issues of George IV,<ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=402}}</ref> and were struck with the same size and weight standards.<ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=400}}</ref>

Wyon redesigned the half farthing for [[Queen Victoria]]'s first issue in 1839. The obverse used the same dies as Wyon's [[Royal Maundy#Maundy coinage|Maundy fourpence]], bearing a left-facing portrait of Queen Victoria and the legend {{small|VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REGINA F: D:}}.{{efn|In full, ''Victoria Dei Gratia Britanniarum Regina Fidei Defensor'' (Victoria, By the Grace of God, Queen of the Britains, Defender of the Faith)}}<ref name="Peck413">{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=413}}</ref> The mint completely redesigned the reverse to avoid any resemblance between half farthings and the [[Fourpence (British coin)|fourpence]] coins introduced in 1836 and issued for Ceylon in 1839.<ref name="Peck413"/> The new reverse featured a [[St Edward's Crown|royal crown]] above the words {{small|HALF FARTHING}} and the date. Below the date, the coins featured a [[Tudor rose|heraldic rose]] with three leaves on either side.<ref name="Peck414">{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=414}}</ref> This design was extremely similar with the [[quarter farthing]], which had been first minted the same year. The mint produced additional issues in 1842, 1843, 1844, 1847, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, and 1856,<ref name="Peck414"/> all to the same size and weight standards as the issues of George IV and William IV,<ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=403}}</ref> but with the rose emblem changed to a joint rose, [[Thistle#Scottish thistle|thistle]], and [[shamrock]].<ref name="Peck413"/> The mint produced [[Proof coinage|proof]] half farthings in bronze and copper-nickel in 1868, but no 1868 half farthings were issued for circulation.<ref name="Peck414"/>

Half farthings were made legal tender in the [[United Kingdom]] on 13 June 1842.<ref name="Peck413"/> Several letters to the editor in ''[[The Times]]'' criticised the proclamation.<ref name="Peck413"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Peck|1960|p=617}}</ref> All British copper coins, including half farthings, were demonetised and taken out of circulation on 31 December 1869.<ref name="mint"/><ref name="Peck413"/>