Farthing

a British coin. The word means a "fourth part," i. e., of a penny, or half a cent. A halfpenny farthing is the fourth part of a halfpenny. In Matthew x:29, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?" reference is made to a small Roman coin worth one-tenth of a Roman penny. Farthings were coined of silver at one time. Farthings were also made by cutting a penny twice crosswise. Copper farthings have been coined since 1665. See Coin; Mint