Collectors Guide

Elizabeth II Florins

The Elizabeth II florin (two shillings) was issued from 1953 to 1967 and represents one of the last pre-decimal silver denominations before the transition to cupro-nickel. Featuring a range of reverse designs early in the reign, the series is of particular interest to collectors studying design evolution and composition changes. This guide covers the specifications, types and collecting aspects of Elizabeth II florins.

Introduction

The Elizabeth II Florin was struck from 1953 to 1967 and is one of the most challenging denominations of the reign to complete in high grade. This page provides an overview of the Elizabeth II Florin series, including obverse varieties, design details, and year-by-year reference images.

The florin circulated intensively well into the 1980s — longer than most denominations in the series — and as a result, mint-state survivors from the earlier dates are considerably scarcer than their mintage figures might suggest. For a coin to have survived from the 1950s in uncirculated condition, it must have been removed from circulation at the time and remained undisturbed in a collection ever since.

1953 – Two obverses identified, distinguishable by bead alignment and silhouette sharpness. Obverse 2 is the scarcer type; most high-grade survivors are Obverse 1 ex plastic set.
1954–1967 – Annual issues with a consistent design; dates from 1954 to 1961 in particular are difficult to find in mint state due to the heavy circulation the denomination endured.

Here's where the tricky '50s really live up to their name. Pretty much every date from 1954 to 1961 has become increasingly difficult to find in mint state, as the intensity of circulation they endured, right up to the 1980s, surpassed the other denominations. For a coin in this series to have survived in mint state, it must have been rescued at the time and placed into a collection, and remained in collections ever since. While it is easy to see why a top grade Victorian Bun penny, for instance, might have been treated in this way, not many people would have viewed the florin with such foresight in the 1950s.

Coinage Details

Design — The obverse throughout the series carries the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Mary Gillick. The reverse, designed by Edgar Fuller and Cecil Thomas, depicts a Tudor rose with the denomination expressed as TWO SHILLINGS. The coin retained the name "florin" in collector usage, though the reverse inscription used the shilling equivalent.

1953 — Two obverses are recorded for the Coronation year florin. The key differences lie in the position of the first I of ELIZ and the I of DEI relative to the border beads, and in the sharpness of the Queen's silhouette. As with other denominations, the majority of surviving mint-state pieces are Obverse 1 coins from the plastic presentation sets issued that year.

1954–1967 — Annual production ran without significant design modification through to the series' end in 1967. The florin survived the transition to decimal currency as the 10 pence piece, which was identical in size and weight and circulated alongside it until the florin's eventual withdrawal in 1993 — giving the Elizabeth II florin one of the longest effective lifespans of any circulating British coin.

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Elizabeth II Florin Issues

1953 1+A

1953 2+A

1954

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

Year-by-Year Reference

Years Issued	1953–1967
Diameter	28.5 mm
Weight	11.31 g
Edge	Reeded
Alloy	Copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel)
Obverse Designer	Mary Gillick
Reverse Designers	Edgar Fuller & Cecil Thomas