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The pre-decimal florin (2s) was a unit of currency equalling two shillings, or one tenth of a pound sterling, or twenty-four pence. The denomination was introduced in 1849 (with a pattern minted in 1848) as the first move towards decimalisation of the British coinage. The first type of florin was the so-called Godless Florin, the obverse of which omitted the traditional "DEI GRATIA" ("By the Grace of God") part of the Queen's legend. After much public outcry, this second type replaced it in 1851, showing the full legend. This second issue is known as the Gothic Florin because of the use of Gothic lettering in the legend. The general style of the florins differs considerably from that of the rest of the contemporary coinage, especially in the obverse which uses the so-called "Gothic Portrait" of Queen Victoria not used on other British coins, excepting the Gothic Crown. This design was issued until 1887, when the Jubilee Florin was introduced on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession to the throne. The composition is Sterling Silver (0.925 silver) and the coins have 0.3364 oz ASW (ounce of Absolute Silver Weight). When the currency became decimal in 1971, by which point the denomination was already debased to copper-nickel, florins were re-denominated as ten new pence. Florins issued in 1887 remained legal tender for 106 years until 1993, when a smaller type of ten pence replaced them. | ||||||||||||
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Variety | Proof | |
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Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Details | According to Spink, "extremely rare". |
Source | Edition | About | Link | Notes |
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Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Coin description | link | |
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Mint | ||
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Mintage | ||
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Varieties | 33 arcs border | |
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | Varieties | Proof |
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Country | United Kingdom |
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Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
Coin Type | Gothic Florin |
Issued | 1887 |
Monarch | Queen Victoria |
Effigy | Queen Victoria - Gothic Portrait by William Wyon |
Face Value | 2 (x Shilling) |
Total Mintage | 1,776,903 (1.8 million) |
Current | No; demonetised 1993 |
Material | 0.925 Silver |
Designer | William Wyon |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Orientation | Medal Alignment (Axis 0) |
Mass | 11.3104 g |
OCC ID | NRWK-ZOJN-CAQD-OXGL |
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Source | Reference ID |
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Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | 3901 |
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Great Britain KM# 746.4 |