Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a farthing.

1749		Fielding Tom Jones (1959) 179: He shan’t ever have a morsel of meat of mine, or a varden to buy it.
1766		Colman & Garrick Clandestine Marriage III ii: I’ll ladyship her indeed! a little creppin, cantin – She shan’t be the better for a farden of my money.
1815		‘The Yorkshire Irishman’ in A Garland of New Songs (28) 8: Without in my pocket a farden.
1825		Egan Life of an Actor 60: Mutton is not worth a single farden if you let it get cold.
1831		Mr Mathews’ Comic Annual 25: I’ll lay ye a farden, that the brick-dust neddy vins.
1842		Comic Almanack Sept. 327: They knock him down, and crack his crown, / And leave him not a farden.
1851		‘Taking Tea in the Arbor’ in Jolly Comic Songster 210: For the smell of a garden, I care not a farden.
1866		Wild Boys of London I 24/1: ‘You hit me, that’s all.’ ‘Hit yer. Why yer five farden rasher of bacon, I’d roll you hup.’.
1878		G. Leybourne ‘Parisien Harry’ in Comic Songs 9: I wouldn’t give a farden for the lot, boys, Gay Paree is the place for me.
1883		J. Greenwood Tag, Rag & Co. 80: And don’t you pay me a farden’ if you h’ain’t.
1899		Boy’s Own Paper 15 July 667: They only charge a farden a pail up town.
1901		Bulletin (Sydney) 20 July 32/1: Well, what on airth more jer want? You’ll ’ave the farm when I’m gone, and not a farden before.
1914		R. Tressell Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (1955) 143: A fardensworth of everlasting stickjaw torfee.
1935		H.E. Bates Poacher (1944) 157: Anybody’d think you’d lost a sovereign and found a farden.
1943		M. Harrison Reported Safe Arrival 10: One ’n’ ’leven-pence three-farden.
1983		V. Bloom ‘Hag Trial’ in Touch Mi, Tell Mi 26: Now mi life no wut two farden.