I like black farthings

wybrit

Even if they come from South Africa...

oldshep

From the coal mines??????
Shep

wybrit

Probably blackened to distinguish them from half sovereigns, like in Great Britain? I don't know about the reasons they did it there...

cacheman

I like....

AuldFartte

Man, that one looks pristine !!!

Garneteye

Aethelred

Pretty darn cool!

Sapyx

That's darned peculiar. I don't think they were issued like that - sovereigns were obsolete by 1938.

Sure it's not a trial strike in zinc?

wybrit

I think all of the dates were issued black up until late in the G VI reign.

I have a 1923 proof, also dark.

Are there any South African coin experts out there willing to explain why they were darkened?

spinaker2000

The SA Mint continued the darkening of bronze coins until 1942, and for the same reason as Tom mentioned earlier.

wybrit

Thanks Terry!

Gazza

You occiasionally see bright Edward VII farthings on the bay, I bought one before I was aware that they should be black It is on records though, that the odd coin did miss the process but I doubt if you could tell if it was genuin or cleaned. You could imagine an ebay seller finding a EF+ black farthing and thinking that a good clean would improve it.

rhound1977

Nice one Tom

I have a black one as well....

Madame

Nice One

ccrdragon

I currently have about 20 of the blackened 1942 farthings - they are among my favorite coins! I really like them when they are so black they look almost blue!

Steve27

So if the mint did it, are they NT or AT?

MacCrimmon

<< <i>So if the mint did it, are they NT or AT? >>



Then they are Mint-Toned (MT).

SYRACUSIAN

<< <i>You occiasionally see bright Edward VII farthings on the bay, I bought one before I was aware that they should be black It is on records though, that the odd coin did miss the process but I doubt if you could tell if it was genuin or cleaned. You could imagine an ebay seller finding a EF+ black farthing and thinking that a good clean would improve it. >>




True bright farthings of that period (Edward VII and Victoria veiled head) that escaped the blackening process exist, they're very rare but their cost is not prohibitive. Many are listed in Colin Cooke's upcoming sale, if you do a search, you'll find spinaker's thread on that very interesting and unique sale. Colin Cooke was a British coin dealer and was considered the expert on farthings, his private collection that is going to be sold is one of a kind and many coins in it have not seen the light of day for the past 20 years at least. This brilliant man unfortunately passed away about a year ago,before I had a chance to meet him in person in one of my visits to England.

I own two black BU farthings in my British type set, a 1902 from Cooke and this 1901,which indeed looks more blue than black:

AuldFartte

oooohhhh ... that 1901 is just ... well ...