Great Britain Farthing, Penny and Half Penny (Victoria) 1860 to 1894

Hello Chastity,

You have a half penny from Great Britain. This series runs during Queen Victoria's long reign, starting in 1838 and ending in 1901. Different versions of the coin bear the queen's likeness at various stages of her life, but the inscription always says Victoria DG (DG = Dei Gratia = by the grace of God). This page applies to farthings, pennies and half pennies dated between 1860 and 1894 that look like the coin shown.

FARTHING: 19 mm diameter
HALF PENNY: 25 mm diametet
PENNY: 30 mm diameter

On the reverse is Britannia, who is kind of like America's Miss Liberty. She is a fanciful figure who embodies virtue, freedom, and strength.

As to value of these coins, most are not very valuable. Millions and millions were made, and even though coin collectors gobble them up for their collections, there are still plenty around. Here are some typical catalog values for these coins. Values are list by common date first, followed by special dates. If your coin is not a special date, it is a common date.

FARTHING COMMON DATES
worn: $3 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $8
well preserved: $60
fully uncirculted: $200

FARTHING SPECIAL DATES
1863: $80 catalog value in average circulated condition
1875: $35 (must not have H mint mark)
1895: $40 (portrait must be the same a shown in our picture)

HALF PENNY COMMON DATES
worn: $3 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $18
well preserved: $80
fully uncirculted: $350

HALF PENNY SPECIAL DATES
1869: $120 in average circulated condition
1871: $120
1874: $80

ONE PENNY COMMON DATES
worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $30
well preserved: $150
fully uncirculted: $500

ONE PENNY SPECIAL DATES
1864: $200 in average circulated condition
1868: $70
1869: $500
1871: $200
1874: $50

The value to the right of each special date is for average circulated condition.

Use our Important Terminology link to understand how catalog value relates to actual value.

If you are a serious collector, there are several interesting minting varieties in this long series. For instance, an 1865 over 1863 half penny catalogs for $1000 in uncirculated condition. Minting varieties like these are well beyond the scop of the CoinQuest forum. If you are interested in such varieties, seek out one of the many good collecting sites on the Internet, or consult with a knowledgeable collector or coin dealer.
cqLastNotify