The pre-decimal florin (2s) was a unit of currency equalling two shillings, or one tenth of a pound sterling, or twenty-four pence. There were nine types of florin issued before this one: the so-called Godless Florin (1848 and 1849), followed by the Gothic Florin (1851 - 1887), the Jubilee Florin (1887 - 1892), a florin featuring three shields (1893 - 1901), the Britannia Florin (1902 - 1910), the first florin issue of King George V (1911 - 1926), the second florin issue of King George V (1927 - 1936), the silver florin of King George VI (1937 - 1946), and the copper-nickel florin of King George VI (1947 - 1951).
The denomination was re-designed at the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, and this was the final type of florin issued; it features a rose at centre (the floral emblem of England), surrounded by linked thistles, shamrocks and leeks (the floral emblems of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales respectively).
When the currency became decimal in 1971, florins were re-denominated as ten new pence; they remained legal tender until 1993, when a smaller type of ten pence replaced them. Thus, a florin coin issued in 1959 was legal tender for 34 years.
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The reverse design features at its centre a rose, the floral emblem of England. It is surrounded by linked thistles, shamrocks and leeks - the floral emblems of the other constituent countries of the United Kingdom: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales respectively.
Around above, the rest of the Queen's legend (continued from the obverse): FID: DEF: (Defender of the Faith).
Around below, the denomination TWO SHILLINGS, followed by the date: 1959.
Above the denomination in small letters, the designers' initials E.F (for Edgar Fuller) and C.T (for Cecil Thomas). |
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