UK KM#881/KM#895 Farthing—Queen Elizabeth II—1953–1956—VF Very Fine—Pre-Decimal

The last farthing series ever struck for British circulation — a tiny bronze coin featuring the iconic Eurasian wren, demonetized in 1960 and never to return. This listing covers the complete Elizabeth II first-portrait farthing run: the 1953 coronation-year issue (with BRITT:OMN, KM#881) and the 1954–1956 issues (without BRITT:OMN, KM#895). The exact year and die variety will vary; all are supplied in Very Fine condition.

Front

• Colors: warm brown bronze engraving; golden-tan fields; reddish-copper highlights
• Young laureate portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, by sculptor Mary Gillick — her initials MG appear on the truncation of the bust and require magnification to see clearly
• 1953 legend (KM#881): ELIZABETH II DEI GRA:BRITT:OMN:REGINA F:D: — "Elizabeth II by the Grace of God Queen of all the Britains Defender of the Faith"
• 1954–1956 legend (KM#895): ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA·F:D: — BRITT:OMN dropped as Commonwealth realms became fully independent
• Designer: Mary Gillick

Back

• Colors: golden-tan fields; dark brown engraving on the wren; olive-bronze accents
• Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) facing left — from the Greek troglodytes, meaning "cave-dweller"
• Date above; denomination FARTHING below
• Designer's initials HWP (Harold Wilson Parker) in the field

Other Characteristics

• Varieties:
  • KM#881 — 1953, with BRITT:OMN — may be this coin
    • 1+A (Cross to bead / F between beads) — mintage 1,300,000
    • 1+B (Cross to bead / F to bead) — mintage 200,000
    • 2+A (Cross between beads / F between beads) — mintage 50,000 — scarce
    • 2+B (Cross between beads / F to bead) — mintage 6,131,000
  • KM#895 — 1954–1956, without BRITT:OMN — may be this coin
    • 1954 — mintage 6,566,400
    • 1955 — mintage 5,779,200
    • 1956 — mintage 1,996,800 — key date
• Catalog numbers: KM# 881 (1953) / KM# 895 (1954–1956); Sp# 4156 / Sp# 4159; Numista N#7396 / N#2345
• Watermark: N/A
• Composition: Bronze
• Size: 20 mm diameter; 1.33–1.37 mm thick
• Weight: 2.83 g (original specification: 1/10 oz avoirdupois / 43.75 grains)
• Shape: Round; milled technique; medal alignment ↑↑; plain edge
• Issuing entity: HM Treasury / Bank of England
• Mint: Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom (1810–1975)
• Demonetized: 31 December 1960
• Currency: Pound sterling (pre-decimal, 1158–1971) — 1 farthing = ¼ penny = 1⁄960 of a pound
• Official language: English

About the United Kingdom

• Origin of name: "United Kingdom" derives from the Acts of Union 1707 (uniting England and Scotland) and 1800 (adding Ireland); "Great Britain" itself comes from Latin Britannia, used by the Romans for the island, possibly from a Celtic root meaning "land of the painted people" (Pritani/Brittones)
• Capital: London — city proper ~9.7 million; Greater London ~14 million
  • Origin of name: From Roman Londinium (est. c. 43 AD); exact etymology debated — possibly from a Celtic personal name or a pre-Celtic root meaning "place at the navigable or bold river"
• Population: ~68 million (UN 2024) — slightly larger than France or Thailand
• Area: 243,610 km² (94,058 mi²) — comparable to Oregon or Romania
• GDP per capita (PPP): ~$56,000 (IMF 2024)
• Main exports: Financial services, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, machinery, vehicles, whisky, petroleum products
• Borders: Ireland (land border); France, Belgium, Netherlands (via English Channel/North Sea)
• Official/spoken language: English; regional: Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish
• Ethnicities: White British (~81%); British Asian (~8%); Black British (~3%); Mixed (~2%); other (~6%)
• Memberships: UN (founding member, 1945; permanent Security Council seat); NATO (founding member, 1949); Commonwealth of Nations (founding member, hosts secretariat in London); G7; G20; OECD; left EU via Brexit (2020)
• Sovereignty:
  • Roman Britain (43–410 AD)
  • Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (5th–11th century)
  • Norman Conquest (1066) — William the Conqueror; feudal England established
  • Kingdom of England (927–1707); Kingdom of Scotland (843–1707)
  • Acts of Union (1707) — Kingdom of Great Britain formed
  • Act of Union (1800) — United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
  • Irish Free State partition (1922) — becomes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • House of Windsor (1917–date); Elizabeth II (1952–2022) — this coin issued during her reign

The Last Farthing

By 1953, the farthing had become almost worthless in practical terms — it could buy almost nothing in postwar Britain. Yet the Royal Mint continued striking them through 1956, and they remained legal tender until the last day of 1960. The 1956 issue, with a mintage of just 1,996,800, is the key date of the KM#895 series and commands a meaningful premium in higher grades. Among the 1953 KM#881 issues, the scarce 2+A die combination (mintage ~50,000) is the variety to watch for.

A Wren on a Coin

The Eurasian wren has appeared on the British farthing since 1937, designed by Harold Wilson Parker. It is one of the most beloved reverse designs in British numismatics — a tiny bird on the tiniest coin, a perfect pairing. The wren's association with British folklore runs deep: it was once called the "King of Birds" in Celtic tradition, and wren-hunting rituals persisted in rural Ireland and Wales into the 20th century. Owning this coin is owning a piece of that mythology.

Elizabeth II's First Portrait — and a Quiet Constitutional Moment

Mary Gillick's portrait of the young Queen — laureate, uncrowned, almost ethereal — appeared on British coinage from 1953. The disappearance of BRITT:OMN after the coronation year marks a quiet constitutional shift: the formal acknowledgment that the British Empire had become a Commonwealth of equals. The legend change was small; the meaning was enormous. Both versions of this legend now appear only on coins — the Empire they described is gone.

Own this coin and hold seventy years of British history in your palm — the last farthing, the beloved wren, and the young Queen at the dawn of her record-breaking reign.