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The half farthing was a British coin worth of a pound, of a shilling, or of a penny. The coins were minted in copper for use in British Ceylon in various years between 1828 and 1856, and as a bronze Proof coinage in 1868. In 1842, they were also declared legal tender in the United Kingdom. Half farthings were demonetised along with all other British copper coins on 31 December 1869.
The mint produced one issue of half farthings during the reign of William IV in 1837. The obverse bore a right-facing portrait of William IV by Wyon with the legend and the date. The coins used the same reverse dies as the issues of George IV, and were struck with the same size and weight standards.
Wyon redesigned the half farthing for Queen Victoria's first issue in 1839. The obverse used the same dies as Wyon's Maundy fourpence, bearing a left-facing portrait of Queen Victoria and the legend . The mint completely redesigned the reverse to avoid any resemblance between half farthings and the fourpence coins introduced in 1836 and issued for Ceylon in 1839. The new reverse featured a royal crown above the words and the date. Below the date, the coins featured a Tudor rose with three leaves on either side. This design was extremely similar with the quarter farthing, which had been first minted the same year. The mint produced additional issues in 1842, 1843, 1844, 1847, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, and 1856, all to the same size and weight standards as the issues of George IV and William IV, but with the rose emblem changed to a joint rose, thistle, and shamrock. The mint produced Proof coinage half farthings in bronze and copper-nickel in 1868, but no 1868 half farthings were issued for circulation.
Half farthings were made legal tender in the United Kingdom on 13 June 1842. Several letters to the editor in The Times criticised the proclamation. All British copper coins, including half farthings, were demonetised and taken out of circulation on 31 December 1869.
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