Great Britain 1873 florin
This specimen was lot 21023 in Heritage sale 3021 (New York, January 2013), where it sold for $2,467.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "Victoria Gothic Florin 1873, Die #211, MS66 PCGS, slight softness at the center of reverse but the queen's portrait is boldly detailed, the surfaces simply superb, glittering with reflective luster beneath vibrant silvery gold iridescence. A fabulous coin! From The Kairos Collection." This florin was Britain's first attempt to decimalize the pound (1 florin = 2 shillings = 1/10 pound). It must have been popular, as it was struck in several variations 1848-87. There was even a brief issue of double florins. Full decimalization would have to wait until the 1960's, when the florin became the ten pence coin.
Recorded mintage: 5,922,000 plus proofs.
Specification: 11.31 g, 0.925 fine silver, .336 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: S-3893, KM 746.2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Bressett, Kenneth E., A Guide Book of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, 2nd Ed., Racine, WI: Whitman Publishing, 1962.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Rayner, P. Alan, and Maurice Bull, English Silver Coinage from 1649, 6th Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2015.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and David Michaels, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3021, featuring the Cecil Webster, Richard P. Ariagno and Elizabeth McPhall Charters Collection, Dallas: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2012.
Link to: