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When did we stop using farthings?

(40 Posts)
Gaunt47 Sat 08-Feb-20 08:47:01

Absolutely - Fruit Salads and Black Jacks were four for a penny. In the hot weather it was difficult to get that waxy paper off smile

LullyDully Sat 08-Feb-20 08:27:17

I was a young child in 1955 a definitely remember a farthing. 4 sweets for a penny. Those stripey , chewy ones wrapped in waxy paper.

annodomini Fri 07-Feb-20 23:42:14

I remember seeing farthings, but they seemed to be kept mainly as curiosities. I never used one and don't think that even in Woollies, anything was priced in farthings. I'm astonished to see one dated 1955 (when I was 15) as I thought they were out of circulation when I was very much younger.

Chestnut Fri 07-Feb-20 23:29:29

Yes it was a wren and I remember them. I have a few still as my parents kept some old coins. I remember farthings with fondness because they are so 1950s!

annsixty Fri 07-Feb-20 23:09:32

I thiught it was much earlier than that, the mind plays tricks as we age.
Was it a wren on the face?

Grammaretto Fri 07-Feb-20 22:33:18

I have a tin box somewhere where I put interesting and old coins. It won't be worth much, except to me, but it is interesting to look at them occasionally. All the old kings and queens heads. There are farthings and halfpennies in there and sixpences and shillings.
One of our DC was heading to France recently and I said " I have a load of francs you can have!" ..... I know, I know.
A senior moment.

JenniferEccles Fri 07-Feb-20 22:29:09

I bet those chips tasted wonderful!

Auntieflo Fri 07-Feb-20 22:20:51

Love that Bohemian. ?

boheminan Fri 07-Feb-20 13:29:48

I remember the night before farthings ceased to be legal tender as my Big Brother and I searched through the house, looking for any farthings and between us we managed to scrape together 12 (3d) and got 3d worth of chips at the local fish'n'chip shop - the owners were furious, Big Brother threw the money down on the counter and we legged it...

Gymstagran Fri 07-Feb-20 13:22:19

I remember having to balance bulk milk purchases to the farthing in 1968 and they were not legal currency then. After that computers were introduced and only balanced to the nearest shilling, to the horror of the accountants.

Fennel Fri 07-Feb-20 13:13:40

ps that would be late 40s early 50s. So still plenty around then.

Fennel Fri 07-Feb-20 13:11:50

I used to play Monopoly with my friends and we used farthings instead of whatever the currency was on the game.

Rainwashed Fri 07-Feb-20 12:54:21

Just googled it , they ceased minting in 1956 but were demonetised at the end of 1960. I thought it would be about then, as I was born in 1955 and don’t remember them (although had heard of them )
but DH who is 3 years older does remember them.
You have given me an idea about old buttons, I have a jar full that were my mother’s, I could take some to a charity shop.

Witzend Fri 07-Feb-20 12:30:11

I remember being able to buy farthing chews as a child, but when they went out I don’t know. Mr Google will, though!

I also remember school mental arithmetic - what is the cost of a dozen articles at 2 3/4d? (Twopence three-farthings)
It was easy when you knew how, even for me!

Auntieflo Fri 07-Feb-20 12:21:42

Just that really.
I have been knitting for a GGC, and looked for some buttons in a charity shop. Bought 8 on a card for 40p.

When I looked at them last night, I was astonished to see that they must be really old. I know the card was yellowed, but the lovely handwriting on it says
1/7 per doz. ( 1 shilling & 7d)
or 1 3/4 each. ( 1 penny 3 farthings)
I think that's just lovely, and am going to keep them and use different ones for my knitting.