Penny Farthing - Bicycle symbol used on the espionage fantasy THE PRISONER/CBS/1968-69. The Penny Farthing Bicycle is the symbol used by the administrators of the Village, a seaside resort that doubled as a prison for people who were perceived as security threats to the Western world. The symbol could be seen on buttons worn by its residents and on the buildings they inhabited. During an interview (New Video Magazine, 1985), Patrick McGoohan, the series creator and star revealed the bicycle's significance "...Progress! Its' an ironic symbol of progress. The penny farthing bicycle represents a simpler age. We live in an era where science is advancing so quickly, you don't even have time to learn about the latest innovations before something new arises."