Watch List notes:

Great Britain. Pattern Farthing in Bronze, 1896. Peck-2071. Victoria. Struck by the Royal Mint. Obverse, 'old head' veiled portrait of queen left by Thomas Brock, as featured on currency issue but much smaller. Linear inner circle between legend and bust. Reverse; Britannia seated right, edge plain. Lightly patinated with Proof surfaces. An outstanding example of this great rarity, and one of the few patterns of the Victorian series. Described by Peck as 'Extremely Rare.' Only a few pieces known. NGC graded Proof 63 Brown. WINGS. Estimate Value $1,800 - 2,000
* It was stated in the Norweb Collection sale of 1986 that a (small) number of different types of pattern farthing were struck dated 1896 in an attempt to make the obverse more distinguishable from that of the half sovereign, with which it was becoming confused. However, none were deemed suitable for adoption, and the following year the Chancellor of the Exchequer/Finance Minister ordered that all farthings were to be issued from the Royal Mint in an artificially darkened state. Most of the 1897 issue were treated (darkened) in this way, and it was not until 1918, when half sovereigns had ceased to circulate, that farthings were once again issued in their original bright state.