where did the penny farthing get its name
Penny-farthing The name came from the British penny and farthing coins, one much larger than the other, so that the side view resembles a penny leading a farthing.[3] Although the name "penny-farthing" is now the most common, it was probably not used until the machines were nearly outdated; the first recorded print reference is from 1891 in Bicycling News.[4] For most of their reign, they were simply known as "bicycles". In the late 1890s, the name "ordinary" began to be used, to distinguish them from the emerging safety bicycles;[5] this term and "hi-wheel" (and variants) are preferred by many modern enthusiasts.[6][7]