Great Britain FARTHING (KM843)¶
-
Reverse WINTER WREN
-
Obverse King George VI
- Composition
- Bronze
- Country
- Great Britain
- Approx. Size
- 20.5mm
- Area
- Europe
- Animal Class
- Birds
- Species
- Winter Wren
- KM#
- 843
The tiny Winter Wren first appeared on the tiny farthing (one-quarter of a pence, or roughly half a cent in Canadian money) in 1937 when George VI took the throne. The little Wren would remain for 19 years, before the farthing disappeared in 1956. There are 79 species of Wren, but only the Winter Wren lives in Europe. This is possibly the cutest bird coin there is.
Great Britain¶
- Area
- Europe
After the Romans left Great Britain, the island was pretty much overrun by assorted peoples who established assorted kingdoms, while many of the original Britons found themselves living in Scotland and Wales. It took the Danish King Canute to unite all the kingdoms in the 11th century, just in time for Duke William II of Normandy to conquer the land. The Normans used their well-practiced and clever skills to assimilate into the local population and help develop the language and culture of Great Britain. Henry VIII (1509-47) was the first king to turn his attention to the sea in a big way. This would result in Great Britain becoming a world power by the time of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). By the time the 19th century was in full-swing, Great Britain had travelled the globe building one of the biggest empires ever seen. This lasted until the 20th century, when two world wars exhausted Great Britain's resources and set the stage for independence in the colonies. Great Britain lies between latitudes 50-59°N, but is not as cold as other areas that far north because of the Gulf Stream which moderates the temperature.
