George IV Copper Farthings 1822 — Matched Pair | Royal Mint | Benedetto Pistrucci | Two Grade Examples

Two coins. Same year. Same mint. Same designer. Two different lives.

These two copper farthings were struck at the Royal Mint in 1822, during the reign of George IV — and they are a pairing that any collector of Georgian copper would be glad to own. Not because either coin is exceptional in isolation, but because together they tell a story that a single example simply cannot.

The year 1822 carries more weight than it might appear. The Royal Mint had not issued copper farthings since 1775 — a gap of forty-six years, bridged only by the Soho Mint's short-lived issues. When production resumed in 1821, it did so under the hand of Benedetto Pistrucci, the brilliant Italian engraver whose St George and Dragon still graces the gold sovereign today. These farthings are his work. The laureate and draped portrait of George IV on the obverse is amongst the finest royal portraits ever placed on British copper coinage — regal, unhurried, classical in its bearing.

The reverse shows Britannia seated right, holding a trident and olive branch against her shield, with a lion resting at her feet. The legend reads BRITANNIAR REX FID DEF — King of the Britons, Defender of the Faith — and the date 1822 sits cleanly in the exergue.

Both coins are copper, 22 millimetres in diameter, plain edged, struck at the Royal Mint in London. Spink 3822.

Coin One presents in Fine to Very Fine condition. The portrait retains good definition with legible legends throughout. There is a small spot of verdigris visible on the obverse near the neck — disclosed honestly and photographed clearly. The reverse is sound with the lion and olive branch both present.

Coin Two presents in Very Fine condition — the stronger of the pair. The portrait is crisper, the legends sharper, and the surface carries lighter, more scattered environmental spotting consistent with its age. Britannia is well struck and the date is bold.

Offered together as a matched pair, these two coins make a genuinely instructive set — the same type across two grades, two centuries of honest wear between them, and a designer whose name belongs in any serious conversation about British numismatic art.

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