Thursday 2 September 2010

Small change

How exciting to glance at one's loose change today and discover that this long-ago coin had found its way to my pocket - more than fifty years after it ceased to be legal tender.

I can remember the farthing clearly from my childhood, mainly for its small size and the charming image of the wren, Britain's second-smallest native bird (I believe).

Not for its purchasing power. By 1956, there wasn't much you could buy for a farthing. But save up 960 of them and you would have £1.00, with which you could buy plenty.

3 comments:

Philippe de Paris said...

There is a sub-species of wren on St. Kilda (the logically named St. Kilda wren) that is larger than the mainland variety. And I've seen it!

I remember when we lived in the NE in the mid sixties the fish van coming round, from which one could buy fruit salads and black jacks - two for 1/2d - which I suppose was the last vestige of farthing pricing

RHK said...

Merci, Pere Philippe.

Thanks for the wrare wren wreminiscence.

I'm off to Iona today.

Week led by (more Rs) Richard Rohr.

Au revoir!

R

RHK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.