George II 1754 Farthings: Which Is Counterfeit?

IMO they are both currency.
Most counterfeits were George 111 with 1775 being the most common.Any date after this will be evasions up until 1799.

Genuine Farthings of this period had a weight range of 4.5 to 5.3 grams and a diameter range of 22 to 23 mm. The 1754 date was struck over several years, and so is most common date for this series.

Contemporary counterfeits circulated in very large numbers. The authorities of the time didn't seem to much bother about that. The Public of the time didn't seem to bother very much either. These two factors, taken together, explain why so many counterfeits circulated.

The condition of these well above average so not much weight loss due to circulation wear.

They both look OK to me, but in this case, that doesn't mean much, given the above mentioned problems with this issue.


Ref. Coincraft's 1998 Standard Catalogue of English & UK Coins, (page 605).

I would suggest both are legitimate.
As Sel says, these were struck over several years, ten years in fact, and so dies were worked to destruction. I think the anomalies seen on the obverse of your second coin are evidence of rust on the die.