Helen Laura Farquhar (1859 – 1953) was a British

numismatist A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...

and a founder member of the

British Numismatic Society The British Numismatic Society (BNS) is an organisation for promoting and realization of the study of British coins and medals. It was founded in 1903. Publications Its principal publication is the ''British Numismatic Journal'', (published from ...

in 1903. Farquhar served on the

Council many times from 1910-1946 and was Vice-President at various times 1912-1953. Farquhar specialised in British

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also includ ...

, especially Stuart portraiture and the

Touch piece A touch piece is a coin or medal believed to cure disease, bring good luck, influence people's behaviour, carry out a specific practical action, etc. What most touch pieces have in common is that they have to be touched or in close physical contac ...

s associated with the King's Evil (scrofula). Farquhar wrote prolifically on these subjects, particularly in the British Numismatic Journal where she published articles in every volume from 1905-1930.

Biography

Farquhar was born in

Brackley Brackley is a market town and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England, bordering Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, from Oxford and from Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the inters ...

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

, in 1859 and grew up in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Her parents were Harvie Morton Farquhar and Louisa Harriet Ridley-Colbourne. Harvie Morton Farquhar was a descendant of the

Farquhar baronets There have been three baronetcies created for members of the Farquhar family, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. One creation is extant as of 2008. The Farquhar Baronetcy -- of Cadogan House ...

and a director of Messrs Herries, Farquhar & Co, which was later acquired by

Lloyds Bank Lloyds Bank plc is a British retail banking, retail and commercial bank with branches across England and Wales. It has traditionally been considered one of the "Big Four (banking), Big Four" clearing house (finance), clearing banks. Lloyds B ...

. Farquhar lived in

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

during the 1860s and 1870s where she was educated by a governess. From at least 1901 Farquhar lived with her sister Isabel Farquhar in

Belgrave Square Belgrave Square is a large 19th-century garden square in London. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and its architecture resembles the original scheme of property contractor Thomas Cubitt who engaged George Basevi for all of the terraces for t ...

. She died at the age of 94 at 6 Lowndes Street on 3 January 1953. Farquhar was a prolific correspondent and archive material is held by the National Archives, the

Wellcome Collection Wellcome Collection is a museum and library based at 183 Euston Road, London, displaying a mixture of medical artefacts and original artworks exploring "ideas about the connections between medicine, life and art". Founded in 2007, the Wellcome C ...

, and the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

. Farquhar either donated (during her lifetime) or bequeathed her collection of coins, medals, badges, and touch-pieces, chiefly of the

Stuart period The Stuart period of British history lasted from 1603 to 1714 during the dynasty of the House of Stuart. The period ended with the death of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne and the accession of George I of Great Britain, King George I ...

, to the

Honours

Saltus Medal of the
British Numismatic Society The British Numismatic Society (BNS) is an organisation for promoting and realization of the study of British coins and medals. It was founded in 1903. Publications Its principal publication is the ''British Numismatic Journal'', (published from ...

Farquhar was awarded the John Sanford Saltus Medal of the

for 1911 at the February 1912 meeting of the Society for her work on Stuart coins and medals.

Medal of the
Royal Numismatic Society The Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) is a learned society and charity based in London, United Kingdom which promotes research into all branches of numismatics. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II. Membership Foremost collectors and researchers, bo ...

Farquhar was awarded the Medal of the

Royal Numismatic Society The Royal Numismatic Society (RNS) is a learned society and charity based in London, United Kingdom which promotes research into all branches of numismatics. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II. Membership Foremost collectors and researchers, bo ...

in 1931. Farquhar was the first female recipient of the Medal.

Honorary Member of the
British Numismatic Society The British Numismatic Society (BNS) is an organisation for promoting and realization of the study of British coins and medals. It was founded in 1903. Publications Its principal publication is the ''British Numismatic Journal'', (published from ...

Farquhar was made an honorary member of the British Numismatic Society in 1950.

Fellow of the
Royal Historical Society The Royal Historical Society, founded in 1868, is a learned society of the United Kingdom which advances scholarly studies of history. Origins The society was founded and received its royal charter in 1868. Until 1872 it was known as the Histori ...

Collections

Farquhar collected coins and medals associated with her scholarly interests in the

. She used these collections in presentations to the

and donated or bequeathed her collection to the

Family

Farquhar lived with her sister Isabel for most of her adult life.

Publications

Articles

*"Portraiture of the Stuarts on the Royalist Badges" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 2 (1905) 243-290 *"Patterns and medals bearing the legend IACOBVS III or IACOBVS VIII" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 3 (1906) 229-270 *"Portraiture of our Tudor monarchs on their coins and medals" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 4 (1907) 79-143 *"Portraiture of Our Stuart Monarchs on their Coins and Medals" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 5 (1908) 145-262 *"Portraiture of Our Stuart Monarchs on their Coins and Medals. Part II: James II" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 6 (1909) 213-285 *"Portraiture of our Stuart monarchs on their coins and medals. Part III: William and Mary" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 7 (1910) 199-267 *"Portraiture of our Stuart monarchs on their coins and medals, Part IV: William III" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 8 (1911) 207-273 *"Portraiture of our Stuart monarchs on their coins and medals: Part V, William III, continued" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 9 (1912) 237-294 *"Portraiture of our Stuart monarchs on their coins and medals. Part VI: Anne" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 10 (1913-1914) 199-266 *"Portraiture of our Stuart monarchs on their coins and medals. Part VII: Anne continued" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 11 (1915) 219-287 *"Silver Counters of the Seventeenth Century" in ''The Numismatic Chronicle'' 16 (1916) 133-193 *"Royal charities. Part I: angels as healing-pieces for the king's evil" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 12 (1916) 39-135 *"Concerning some Roettiers Dies" in ''The Numismatic Chronicle'' 17 (1917) 126-165 *"Royal charities. Part II: touchpieces for the king's evil" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 13 (1917) 95-163 *"Royal charities. Part III (continuation of) touchpieces for the king's evil. James II to William III" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 14 (1918) 89-120 *"Royal charities. Part IV (conclusion of) Touchpiece's for the king's evil" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 15 (1919-1920) 141-184 *"Royal Charities (Second Series)" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 16 (1921-1922) 195-228 *"A series of portrait plaques in thin silver, struck in Stuart times, technically called shells or clichés" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 16 (1921-1922) 229-246 *"Royal Charities (Second Series) Part II" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 17 (1923-1924) 133-164 *"An Emergenc Coinage in Ireland" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 17 (1923-1924) 165-169 *"Some portrait-medals struck between 1745 and 1752 for Prince Charles Edward" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 17 (1923-1924) 171-225 *"The Shrewsbury Medal" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 18 (1925-1926) 125-134 *"Royal Charities (Second Series) Part IV" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 19 (1927-1928) 109-129 *"A Lost Coinage in the Channel Islands" in ''The Numismatic Chronicle'' 8 (1928) 199-212 *"Royal Charities (Second Series) Part V" in ''British Numismatic Journal'' 20 (1929-1930) 215-150 *"The Forlorn Hope Medal of Charles I" in ''The Numismatic Chronicle'' 10 (1930) 316-329 *"Thomas Simon, "One of our Chief Geavers"" in ''The Numismatic Chronicle'' 12 (1932) 274-310

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Farquhar, Helen 1859 births 1953 deaths English numismatists Women numismatists