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The Australian Florin is a silver coin which was used in the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalisation. It has the same dimensions and composition as the British pre-decimal florin, from which it is derived (for a time, the coins circulated in parallel and were interchangeable in Australia - but not in the United Kingdom). A Florin is equal to two shillings, or 24 pence, or one tenth of a pound.
The reverse of the first type of Australian florin coins featured the 1908 Coat of Arms; it became obsolete almost immediately, since Australia received a new Coat of Arms in 1912. In 1938, this new design superseded it - featuring the new Coat of Arms; the old type of coins remained in circulation.
Coins issued in 1951 were withdrawn at decimalisation in 1966 after 15 years in circulation, but have never been formally demonetised and are still legal tender.
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| Mint | Melbourne Mint |
Mint Mark | No mint mark |
Total Mintage | 10,068,000 (10.1 million) |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King George VI facing left.
Below the neck truncation in small letters, the artist's initials HP (for [Thomas] Humphrey Paget).
Around, the monarch's legend: GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.. Translated from Latin: George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith.
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse features the arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, as authorised by Royal Warrant 19 September 1912 - composed of a shield divided into six parts, each containing a representation of the badge of a State (although that of South Australia is depicted as three sheaves of wheat above a rising sun instead of the authorised Piping Shrike).
The shield is supported by a kangaroo and an emu standing on a grassy mound accompanied by small branches of wattle. Above the shield is a crown instead of the Federation star. Around above, the denomination FLORIN between two seven pointed stars; below, in the exergue, the date 1951 curved below which, AUSTRALIA.
The artist's initials K·G (for [George] Kruger Gray) are in the field above the back of the emu. |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | This was the first year on the florin denomination that the King's titles excluded reference to India, IND: IMP:; to compensate, the abbreviation F: D: has been expanded to FIDEI DEF. |
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