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Collectors Guide

George VI Florins

The George VI florin (two shillings) was issued from 1937 to 1951 and is notable for its distinctive crowned shields reverse design. Struck initially in silver and later in cupro-nickel, the series reflects the post-war changes in British coinage. This guide explores the specifications, design and collecting aspects of George VI florins, including key dates and condition considerations.

Introduction

The George VI Florin was struck from 1937 to 1951 and shares the broad structure of the other silver denominations of the reign: an initial silver coinage, a transition to copper-nickel in 1947, and a legend change in 1949. This page provides an overview of the George VI Florin series, including reverse varieties, alloy changes, and year-by-year reference images.


The series has one design-level collector point absent from the halfcrown: the 1937 florin exists in two reverse varieties, A and B, distinguishable by the position of certain letters relative to the border beads. The copper-nickel issues present a particular condition challenge — having circulated well into the 1980s as the decimal 10 pence, genuinely mint-state examples from the post-1947 dates require patience to find.

  • 1st Coinage (1937) – Two reverses recorded (A and B), differing in the alignment of key letters to the border beads. Struck in .500 silver.
  • 2nd Coinage (1938–1946) – Reverse B only, struck in .500 silver throughout.
  • 3rd Coinage (1947–1948) – Alloy changed to copper-nickel; design otherwise unchanged.
  • 4th Coinage (1949–1951) – IND IMP removed from the obverse legend. The 1951 florin uses a slightly different reverse, warranting its own Davies reference number.

Coinage Details

1937 Reverse Varieties — Two reverses were used in the Coronation year. Reverse A has the I of SHILLINGS, the D of IND, and the left leg of the N of IND each pointing directly at a bead. Reverse B has those same features pointing between beads. From 1938 onward, Reverse B was used exclusively.


Alloy Change (1947) — As with all silver denominations, the florin's alloy was changed to copper-nickel in 1947. The design continued without modification. Because the copper-nickel florin remained in circulation as the decimal 10p until 1993 — an extraordinarily long working life — early copper-nickel dates from 1947 to the early 1950s in truly uncirculated condition are genuine rarities. Circulated examples are plentiful; mint-state examples are worth waiting for.


1949 Legend Change — The removal of IND IMP from the obverse legend in 1949 applied to the florin as with other denominations. The 1951 issue is additionally noted by Davies for a minor but distinguishable reverse variant, giving it a separate catalogue reference.

George VI Florins

1937 Florin 1+A 1937 1+A
1937 Florin 1+B 1937 1+B
1938 Florin 1938
1939 Florin 1939
1940 Florin 1940
1941 Florin 1941
1942 Florin 1942
1943 Florin 1943
1944 Florin 1944
1945 Florin 1945
1946 Florin 1946
1947 Florin 1947
1948 Florin 1948
1949 Florin 1949
1950 Florin 1950
1951 Florin 1951

Specifications

Years Issued 1937–1951
Diameter 28.5 mm
Weight 11.31 g
Edge Reeded
Alloy
  • (1937–1946) - Silver 50%, Copper 40%, Nickel 5% & Zinc 5%
  • (1947–1951) - Copper 75% Nickel 25%
Obverse Designer Thomas Humphrey Paget
Reverse Designer George Kruger Gray

Year-by-Year Reference

1937

1937 Florin Reverse A
Obverse Reverse
1937 Florin 1+A Reverse 1937 Florin 1+A Obverse
  • I in LLINGS points at a bead
  • D of IND points at a bead
  • Left leg of N in IND points at a bead
1937 Florin Reverse B
Obverse Reverse
1937 Florin 1+B Reverse 1937 Florin 1+B Obverse
  • I in LLINGS points between beads
  • D of IND points between beads
  • Left leg of N in IND points between beads

1938

1938 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1938 Florin Obverse 1938 Florin Reverse

1939

1939 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1939 Florin Obverse 1939 Florin Reverse

1940

1940 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1940 Florin Obverse 1940 Florin Reverse

1941

1941 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1941 Florin Obverse 1941 Florin Reverse

1942

1942 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1942 Florin Obverse 1942 Florin Reverse

1943

1943 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1943 Florin Obverse 1943 Florin Reverse

1944

1944 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1944 Florin Obverse 1944 Florin Reverse

1945

1945 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1945 Florin Obverse 1945 Florin Reverse

1946

1946 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1946 Florin Obverse 1946 Florin Reverse

1947

1947 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1947 Florin Obverse 1947 Florin Reverse

1948

1948 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1948 Florin Obverse 1948 Florin Reverse

1949

1949 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1949 Florin Obverse 1949 Florin Reverse

1950

1950 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1950 Florin Obverse 1950 Florin Reverse

1951

1951 Florin
Obverse Reverse
1951 Florin Obverse 1951 Florin Reverse

References

Attributions and variety identifications for the George V Halfcrown series are based principally on the standard published references listed below. These works form the core framework for catalogue numbering, die classification, and comparative study.

  • Coins of England and the United Kingdom
  • ESC – English Silver Coinage
  • Bull – English Silver Coinage since 1649
  • Davies – British Silver Coins since 1816
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