Historically, the British farthing was a continuation of the English farthing, a coin struck by English monarchs prior to the Act of Union 1707 that was worth a quarter of an old penny (1⁄960 of a pound sterling). Only pattern farthings were struck under Queen Anne. The coin was struck intermittently through much of the 18th century, but counterfeits became so prevalent the Royal Mint ceased striking them after 1775. The next farthings were the first ones struck by steam power, in 1799 by Matthew Boulton at his Soho Mint. The Royal Mint resumed production in 1821. The farthing was struck regularly under George IV, William IV and in most years of Queen Victoria's long reign. The coin continued to be issued in most years of the first half of the 20th century, and in 1937 it finally received its own design, a wren (pictured). By the 1950s, inflation had eroded its value. It ceased to be struck after 1956 and was demonetised in 1961.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_British_farthing
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1800:
Lord Wellesley, Governor-General of India, founded Fort William College in Fort William, India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_William_College
1921:
Irish War of Independence: One day after a truce between the Irish Republican Army and British forces was agreed, violence broke out between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloody_Sunday_%281921%29
1940:
Second World War: The Battle of Britain, in which the Royal Air Force defended the UK from attacks by the German Luftwaffe, began. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain
1973:
John Paul Getty III, grandson of American oil magnate J. Paul Getty, was kidnapped in Rome. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Paul_Getty_III
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
gorge: 1. (intransitive, reflexive) Often followed by on: To stuff the gorge or gullet with food; to eat greedily and in large quantities. 2. (transitive) To swallow, especially with greediness, or in large mouthfuls or quantities. 3. (transitive) To fill up to the throat; to glut, to satiate. 4. (transitive) To fill up (an organ, a vein, etc.); to block up or obstruct; (US, specifically) of ice: to choke or fill a channel or passage, causing an obstruction. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gorge
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
It's the rich and powerful, by and large, who glamorize immorality, but it's the poor and vulnerable who pay the price. --Robert P. George https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_P._George