How Much Is a Farthing Worth Today?
A farthing was a quarter of an old penny — the smallest British coin, worth about a tenth of a modern penny today.
It hasn't been legal tender since 1960, but its little wren design makes it a favourite with collectors.
At a glance
- Old value
- ¼ old penny (¼d)
- In today's money
- ~0.1p
- Design
- A wren (from 1937)
- Withdrawn
- End of 1960
🪙 Old money converter · ONS price data
0.25d converts to exactly 0.1p in decimal currency — that part never changes. But prices have risen about 48× since 1950, so it had the spending power of roughly 5.01p today. That gap is why 0.1p feels so wrong to anyone who remembers using it.
Every pre-decimal coin, in 1950 money
| Coin | Old value | Decimal | Worth today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farthing | ¼d | 0.1p | 5.01p |
| Halfpenny | ½d | 0.21p | 10p |
| Penny | 1d | 0.42p | 20p |
| Threepence | 3d | 1.25p | 60p |
| Sixpence | 6d | 2.5p | £1.20 |
| Shilling | 1s | 5p | £2.41 |
| Florin | 2s | 10p | £4.81 |
| Half crown | 2s 6d | 13p | £6.02 |
| Crown | 5s | 25p | £12.03 |
| Ten bob note | 10s | 50p | £24.07 |
| Pound | £1 | £1.00 | £48.14 |
| Guinea | 21s | £1.05 | £50.55 |
Purchasing power from the Office for National Statistics, Retail Prices Index: Long run series: 1800 onwards (series CDKO), annual averages, 1800–2025. Face values are fixed by the 1971 decimalisation arithmetic (12d = 1s, 20s = £1). A price index tracks a typical basket of goods, so it is a guide to general spending power rather than the price of any one thing. Collectable coins can be worth far more than either figure.
How much is a farthing worth today?
A farthing was a quarter of an old penny — there were 960 to the pound — so in today's money it's worth about 0.1p, a tenth of a modern penny. It hasn't been legal tender since 1960.
Face value is only half the answer, though. What a farthing bought depended entirely on when you spent it — prices have risen many times over since these coins were in daily use. Set the year in the converter above to see the spending power behind the coin, using the Office for National Statistics long-run price index.
What was a farthing?
The farthing was worth a quarter of a penny — there were 960 to the pound. This tiny bronze coin was the smallest denomination in everyday use. From 1937 it famously carried a wren, Britain's smallest bird — a fitting design for the smallest coin. It ceased to be legal tender at the end of 1960, a decade before decimalisation.
A farthing in today's money
A farthing was 1/960 of a pound — around 0.1p, a tenth of a modern penny. Prices were often set in amounts like 'threepence farthing', and the coin mattered when the cost of living was measured in pennies.
For context, the old system ran on pounds, shillings and pence (£sd): £1 was 20 shillings, and each shilling was 12 pence. See how much a shilling is worth today for the coin at the heart of it.
Are old farthings worth anything to collectors?
Most 20th-century farthings are common and worth modest sums, but condition and date matter — earlier and scarcer farthings, and pristine examples of the wren design, are collectable. As a cheap, characterful starting point, farthings are popular with new collectors.
If old coins interest you, our guide to what makes coins valuable is a good next read.
Frequently asked questions
How many farthings were in a penny?
Four. A farthing was a quarter of an old penny, and there were 960 farthings in a pound.
When did the farthing stop being used?
The farthing was demonetised at the end of 1960, so it was already gone before Britain decimalised in 1971.
Other old coins: Shilling · Crown · Half crown · Florin · Guinea · Sixpence · Threepence
Coin values are a general guide only. Collector values vary widely by date, condition and metal — for a valuable coin, get it assessed by a reputable dealer or auction house.
