There was also a dire shortage of coins of small denominations, such as a housewife needed for everyday shopping, a problem that had been increasing since James I’s day. The few copper farthings produced were all under license to various nobles, and the supply of them was not sufficient to fill the demand. Shopkeepers evolved a pragmatic solution: trade tokens. In the 1660’s there were 3,543 ‘tokeners’ in the City of London, its suburbs and Westminster.

These tokens were usually made of lead, tin or copper, although some were of leather. They were usually worth a halfpenny or farthing (only the coffee-houses found it worthwhile to issue 1 penny tokens). They were small and came in a variety of shapes – round, heart-shaped, diamond, square or hexagonal. Shopkeepers kept boxes with compartments for each issuer (usually only for those tokeners in the same area, not all 3,543!) When they had enough they returned them to the issuer, who changed them for silver or notes of hand. In March 1668, Prince Rupert and the Duke of Norfolk suggested to the King that they should make ‘current farthings’ to prevent ‘the loss and inconvenience by private tokens in case of removals etc., as appeared in the late Fire of London.’ However, it was not until 1672 the mint started issuing the first copper farthings. The following references may be of help if readers wish to pursue the interest further:

The Provincial Token-Coinage of the Eighteenth Century, by Dalton & Hamer
British Tokens and Their Values, Seaby
The Nineteenth Century Token Coinage by W.J.Davis
Silver Token-Coinage 1811-1812 by R.Dalton

Norweb Collection - Vol 1 to 5 Tokens of the British Isles 1575 - 1750

St Botolph's Gate neighbourhood 1.12g

AT BVTTIS GATE

17thC Joseph Wolford, Mercers of Toppesfield Essex hammered copper trade farthing

Norweb Fig 1407 Part II

17thC Nathaniel Lawrence

Colchester hammered farthing

1665 William Ferris of Colchester hammered copper trade farthing with a William Moore bays maker back - Wrong dies used

obv FWM with rev MWM ?

17thC Vol Jacob baymaker Colchester hammered farthing- undated type 0.75g

1669 Manningtree - Carter Henry, surgeon (CHYRVRGEON) 'His halfpenny' hammered copper trade token

Volume II - 1319a Barber/Surgeon

1669 Manningtree - Carter Henry, surgeon (CHYRVRGEON) 'His halfpenny' hammered copper trade token

Volume II - 1319a Barber/Surgeon

 17thC Thomas Hewes, of Hedingham Castle hammered trade farthing

1664 William Munt of Clacton 0.92g

Legend - MVCH CLAFTON IN ESSEX

17thC Falcon, Parker John of Wevenhoe ( Wivenhoe) Copper trade farthing

17thC Ipswich hammered copper trade farthing

James Story, grocer

17thC Robert Terry of Ufford ,Grocer of Suffolk hammered copper trade farthing - RTM

1666 hammered copper trade farthing

17thC copper farthings

The First British Copper Coin

Under James I, copper farthings were produced. At first these were produced privately under licence from the Crown, first by Lord Harrington, then by Lennox.
The licence changed hands several times, and privately issued copper farthings continued to be produced under Charles I.
After Charles I got the chop, a copper farthing was issued by Oliver Cromwell, bearing his portrait.

1614-25 James 1st hammered copper farthing Type 3c Mintmark key

General type Obv. IACO D G MAG BR (IT)

Rev. FRA ET HIB REX

Charles 1st Royal farthing - Harp Type 3 Maltravers 'rounds' 1634- 36, woolpack mint mark

obv CAROLUS D G MAG BRIT

Rev FRAN ET HIB REX

1634 -36 Charles 1st Rose hammered copper farthing type 2

Obv CAEOLU D G MAG BRIT

Rev FRA ET HIBER REX