Medieval English Hammered Farthings - Known Counterfeits.

This online guide is designed to help

• Metal Detector enthusiasts
• Museum Curators
• Coin Dealers & Collectors

accurately identify and classify their English Hammered Farthings.

---

Overview:

    Counterfeit

    A fraudulent imitation or facsimile.

    Fabricated in imitation of something else, with a view to defraud
    by passing the false copy for genuine or original; as, counterfeit
    antiques; counterfeit coin.

Fortunately, there are very few counterfeit hammered silver farthings. Their low transaction value meant that forgers risked sever punishment for low returns - it was far more attractive to counterfeit pennies (same risk and four times the return). So, for much the same reason as farthings do not appear in hoards of coins, their low value made them unattractive.

But, times have changed and good condition or extremely rare hammered silver farthings are fetching three to four figure sums at auction. Enter the modern forger. What should you be cautious about?

• Exceptionally clear (i.e. too good to be true).
  Most authentic hammered farthings have been buried for centuries.
  
  
• Thick edges.
  Hammered silver farthings will generally have thin edges - they have been hammered flat. Cast coins will have thicker blunt edges.
  
  
• A "soapy" feel.
  
  
• Identical coins.
  No two hammered farthings will be identical! There were a limited number of dies used - but the shape of each coin, the orientation of the obverse to the reverse, and any off-centered striking, THESE ARE UNIQUE TO EACH COIN.

One well documented source of copied hammered silver coins were those produced by Trevor Ashmore. He was a precision engineer by profession, working in Nottingham and then later in Devon. In the late 60s he started to cut dies of rare coins as a hobby. They are not marked copy and are quite dangerous to collectors as they were often made from genuine old silver. See the article, "Ashmore Replicas - Revisited," Spink Numismatic Circular 108 (April 2000), pp. 3-7, illus. See also Bulletin on Counterfeits Vol.20/2, 1995/96.

One type of coin produced by Ashmore was an Irish King John "Mascle" farthing of the moneyer "NORM" and another of the moneyer "NICO" (both shown below).

---

Example 1: John - "Mascle" farthing, Dublin: moneyer NORM.
Type: S. 6220
Produced by: Trevor Ashmore

The following coin was produced by the well known coin copier, Trevor Ashmore. One easy way to identify his coins is by his use of thin lettering (top photo), as compared to the lettering on authentic coins (bottom photo).

Ashmore copy

Authentic coin

Diameter: 11mm
Weight: 0.40g

Obverse: Large Mascle with pellets at the end of each corner.

Reverse: NORM
    " Long cross with each letter of the moneyers name, over a pellet, in
    each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.6220

---

Example 2: John - "Mascle" farthing, Dublin: moneyer NICO
Type: S. 6220
Produced by: Trevor Ashmore

The following coin was produced by the well known coin copier, Trevor Ashmore. One easy way to identify his coins is by his use of thin lettering (top photo), as compared to the lettering on authentic coins.

Ashmore copy

Diameter: 11mm
Weight: 0.40g

Obverse: Large Mascle with pellets at the end of each corner.

Reverse: NICO
    " Long cross with each letter of the moneyers name, over a pellet, in
    each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.6220

---

Example 3: Edward I - London
Type: 10

First spotted in 2005, these fakes are back on the market in 2008 - three of them are in the authors' collection.

Exceptional Clarity?	Yes - EF
Thick Edges?	Yes - They look cut
Soapy texture?	Yes
Identical?	Yes Same obverse and reverse orientations Dies identical - every flatness (i.e. tail of the R in ERANGLIE) and every fault Flan shape identical Off-Striking identical (e.g. all letters are identically on or off the flan) Flaws identical (e.g. dimple in beading above the N of DON)

Diameter: 11mm
Weight: 0.44g

Obverse: E R AN GLIE
    Crown as Types 8-9, with bust to edge of flan. Tall central spike
    to crown, touching the cross in the legend.

Reverse: LON DON IEN SIS
    "Long Cross" with three pellets in each quarter.

Reference(s):
  S.1445A
  N.1053/2 Class 3de

---

Do you think you have a fake Hammered Silver Farthing? Do you want to discuss this topic? Contact the discussion moderator.

---

This article was featured in the July 2005 issue of the Counterfeit Coin Newsletter.

Want to find out more about all sorts of Counterfeit Coins?
Take a look at the Counterfeit Coin Newsletter.

---