Victoria Silver Groat Fair

Today we call small coins copper, but they are struck in bronze or even Steel. The last British coins struck in copper were of Queen Victoria and dated 1859/1860. So these Victoria Copper Halfpennies we are offering you were struck between 1838-1860. Dates will be of our choice and there are none of the rare dates in the group. You have the Young Head of Queen Victoria on the obverse and a seated figure of Britannia holding a trident on the reverse. The design was deeply engraved and the thick copper planchet made the coins strike even better

The copper Half Farthing of Queen Victoria is a most unusual coin. They only made them in copper and most were used overseas, but they were of course legal tender and used in this country. We recently bought an old dealers hoard of these coins, most are dated 1844 or 1843 and they are in Very Fine condition. We last bought a hoard about ten years ago and this new hoard was very timely, as we had almost run out of them. They are not a coin that you can just go out and buy a quantity when you need it, they are not easy to get. This coin has always been one of my favourite denomination, a Half Farthing just sounds so unusual. The last time this denomination was used was under Queen Victoria and they were only struck in the early part of her reign, when the coins were copper and not bronze.

Victoria came to the throne a very young woman, she was only 18 when she became Queen. Her first coins carried a very youthful portrait of Queen Victoria a portrait carried on for the next 50 years. The Shilling was struck in Sterling Silver and because they were used every day, they come well-circulated. We offer them here in Fair conditio; remember that the newest coin is now 130 years old. Dates will be of our choice, but the more you order the more different dates we will try and give you.