1953 Farthing Varieties
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The ascension of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1952 resulted in a number of changes to the designs of British coins in 1953, with the farthing being struck with two different obverse and three different reverse designs.
| Die | Notes |
|---|---|
| Obverse 1 | + points at bead |
| Obverse 2 | + points between beads |
| Reverse A | F of FARTHING between denticles, I of FARTHING between denticles |
| Reverse B | F of FARTHING at denticle, I of FARTHING at denticle |
| Reverse B* | F of FARTHING between denticles, I of FARTHING at denticle |
Obverses 1 and 2 and reverses A and B have been well known for decades but reverse B* was only discovered in April 2022.
| Die combination | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1+A | Only in specimen sets; proofs struck |
| 1+B | Scarce |
| 2+A | Scarce; proofs struck |
| 2+B | Common; proofs struck |
| 2+B* | Only in VIP proof sets |
Matte proofs of 1+A and 2+B were reportedly struck as well, apparently for use in photos (presumably to illustrate the new designs).
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