21)Transformation of a two shilling (Florin) coin into the U.K.Ten pence

21) Transformation of a two shilling (Florin) coin into the U.K.Ten pence:

Having studied at La Martiniere College, Lucknow, from 1970 to 1974, which is ,the oldest College, established in India ,in 1840, my earlier schooling was steeped in British culture through English Literature books coming directly from the U.K., as part of the course material.  I , also, grew up reading Classic Illustrated Comics too, and still have a large collection of these from the 1960s and 1970s , for which I have fought off all my wife’s attempts to hand them over to some youngster. 

My particular favourites from the U.K. were “Knights of the Round Table” and “Robin Hood”. 

Naturally, when I went to London for a Holiday during the Christmas vacations of 2006, it felt like home-coming for me. 

From Oxford Street to West Minister Abbey, The Parliament, The Tower of London, the London Bridge, St.Paul’s Cathedral, the quaint timeless architecture, Windsor castle, Stonehenge, The Lost Garden of Heligan in St.Austell and the Eden Project (where every species/variety of plant is being grown) all seemed familiar. I was particularly fascinated by the hall containing suits of Armour in the Windsor castle and imagined what kind/size of Knights would fit into these.  Having read all the literature about Stonehenge, including fictional accounts, despite heavy rains, I took pictures of the stones from every possible permissible direction, even though most of the conducted tour group did not venture out of the Bus ,into the rain. 

During my trekking on the trails of the Lost Garden of Heligan, I came upon a ten pence coin from 1992, by chance, which I kept as a souvenir along with other coins, that, I saved from the trip. Little did I realize that, this coin would connect in a strange way with another coin, from my mother-in-law’s collection, which had been lying in our Bank’s safe-deposit locker for several years ,both coins having been minted over four decades apart.  

 While, I will be writing about other coins saved from the trip in a later post, I am writing about the Florin (1949) and the ten pence (1992) coins here.

Florin (two shillings):

 

The value of the coin is two shillings (also, nicknamed “two bob-bit” ) and is the equivalent of one-tenth of a Pound, but how did it get to be called a florin ? One interpretation is that the two shilling coin was having the same size and specifications as some coins called florins in circulation in some other European countries, therefore, after a lot of deliberation in the British Parliament, the name florin was settled. It also seems that the word “florin “derives from the Italian word “fiorino” (flower) or Firenze” (Italian for Florence).

The first florins, put into circulation in 1849, were silver pieces weighing 11.3 gms. 

The introduction of these coins met with instant resistance/criticism, in public, because the words “Dei  Gra” or “D.G”. for short, meaning “By the grace of God”, were missing from them.  These words had always formed an integral part of the engravings /inscriptions on British coins, even to the present day.  This florin was dubbed as the “godless florin”.

This coin had to be replaced by a new design in 1951, which had a predominantly gothic script. Also, to accommodate the additional letters, the size of the coin was increased from having a diameter of 28mm (in the first issues) to 30 mm.  The weight remained at 11.3 gms. The reverse of this coin also mentioned “one florin- one tenth of a pound” .This florin was termed as the “Gothic florin”.

With minor adjustments/changes, in size and reverse designs, the florin continued to be issued under various Sovereigns.

The design on the reverse, over the years, sometimes had a shield, or three shields, or image of Britannia standing, holding a trident and a shield,  and later on, the design showed  a crowned rose, flanked by a thistle and shamrock,  or in the last issues under Queen Elizabeth II , a rose surrounded by thistles and a shamrocks and leeks .

The quantity of  silver  in the coin , also , underwent a gradual reduction being reduced in 1927 to 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel and 5% zinc and in 1947, (shortly after World War II – when the price of silver was  prohibitive), the silver content was done away altogether and was replaced by 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Also, the words “one florin- one tenth of a pound” got replaced over the years by “one florin-two shillings” in the Britannia image issues , and in 1927, the words “two shillings” were removed and only “one florin”, together with other inscriptions, was engraved on the reverse. From 1937, the words “one florin” were removed altogether and replaced by “two shillings” only.

I am giving below the image of a two shilling coin from 1949, which my mother-in-law had kept with her silver coins collection. 

The obverse shows a portrait of George  VI  facing left, with the words /inscription “GEORGIVS  VI  D:G:BR:OMN:REX” which means “George VI, By the grace of God, King of all Britons”.

The reverse of the coin shows  the letters "F.D." have been enlarged to read "FID: DEF:" (Defender of the Faith) and has moved to the reverse side of the coin, instead of being part of the inscription on the Obverse, as in the time of Edward VII (1903-1910). The design has a crowned rose with a Thistle above G and Shamrock above R on the left and right and the words "Two shillings" 1949. (India gained Independence in1947, however, due to time taken for devising and changing of dies for minting, for sometime later i.e. upto 1948, the inscription on the reverse of the coin continued to  read as “ FID DEF IND IMP TWO SHILLINGS”. The words "IND IMP" were dropped in 1948, from this coin towards the beginning of 1949).  

Remember, that, out of all the British Dominions, India was given great importance and was called “the jewel in the crown”, hence the title Emperor of India (IND IMP) was marked as a separate designation on these coins, which was now withdrawn. 

The coin presented here  one of the first issues under this new category. 

Also, while a thistle represents Scotland (the story being that when the Vikings were attacking the Scottish defences at night - as against the then, prevalent practice of engaging the enemy only during the day, one of the Viking soldiers stepped on a thistle and yelled out in pain, alerting the Scottish defenders, who repulsed the Viking attack. Since then, the thistle has been adopted as an emblem in Scotland), the shamrock on the other hand represents Ireland (a shamrock is a plant with trifoliate leaves, used by St.Patrick to illustrate the doctrine of Trinity. It has been adopted as the National symbol of Ireland.In Irish it is called "seamrag").

With U.K. adopting the decimal/metric system of coinage (India had already changed the Anna system to decimal/metric coinage in 1957), in 1968, the ten pence coin (equivalent of one tenth of a Pound i.e. having the same value as the two shilling/florin) was issued for circulation, having the same size and composition as the two shillings coin. The two shillings continued in circulation, till 1993, when it was withdrawn and passed into history. Also, during 1992, the size of the ten pence coin was reduced to 6.50 gms and the diameter reduced to 24.50 mm. Its, composition remained the same as in the Florin issued in 1949 (i.e. 75% copper and 25% nickel) and one of these specimens was found by me on the trail in the Garden of Heligan, which incidentally is the only 10 pence coin which I have from 1992, the others being from later years. 

Obverse of the ten pence coin described above, with the words”Elizabeth II” on the left and “D.G.REG. FD.1992” meaning “By the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith”  (The Queen is no longer described as the “Queen of all the Britons” in this and all other coins).

Reverse of the coin showing a crowned Lion and the words “Ten Pence” and the numeral “10”.

Thus , both these coins , separated by over 40 years, tell a story, the 1949 two shillings, about the King no longer being the “Emperor of India” and that India is independent and the 10 pence coin issued  in 1992, tells of the passing of the Florin/two shillings into history, and the ten pence adopting a much smaller and sleeker size.

Although, they are both predominantly, copper coins, and do not have much monetary value for collectors, they have played their own role in recording the history of the United Kingdom.



Links:

British Crown Dependencies:

1) Specimen Banknotes from the States of Jersey

2) Coinage and Currency from the States of Jersey

3) Currency & Coinage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey

4) Currency & Coinage of Gibraltar : An Overseas Territory of Great Britain

5) Coinage of Gibraltar: (A British Overseas Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by the Tower Mint, UK in 2010
  
6) The Isle of Man: An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK in 2015

7) The Centenary of the ill-fated Titanic (15.04.1912 - 15.04.2012): An Alderney Five Pound Coin Commemorating the Maritime Legend

8) "Man of Steel": A Superman Movie: A set of stamps brought out in 2013 by Jersey post, the States of Jersey, commemorating Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill who played Superman in the Movie

9) Coins & Currency of Bermuda

10) The Bailiwick of Jersey - Presently circulating coinage - Pounds and Pence 

11) St. Helena & Ascension Islands: An Uncirculated Coin Set from 2003 

12) The Legend of the "HMAV Bounty" is interwoven with the heritage of the Pitcairn Islands: An uncirculated coin set from Pitcairn Islands in 2009 depicting the icons/relics of the Bounty minted by the New Zealand Mint 

Famous Battles: 

1) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to St. Helena: (Part I): A One Crown Commemorative coin issued by the Ascension Island (minted by Pobjoy Mint UK) 

2) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to st. Helena: (Part II) 1) A 5 GBP Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK. 2) A"Drie Landen Zilverset" ( ot the "Three Lands Silver set") containing coins issued by the Royal Dutch Mint including coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK

3) Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain by issuing a 50 Pence coin by the Royal Mint UK

Gold Coins:
  
1) Gold Sovereigns issued in 2013 & 2014 by MMTC-PAMP in India under licence from the Royal Mint, UK, carrying the "I" Mint Mark

2) Gold Half-Sovereigns minted by MMTC-PAMP in India in 2014 under licence from the Royal Mint UK bearing the "I" Mint Mark 

Silver Coins:

1) A 20 Pound Silver coin minted for the first timr by the royal Mint UK: reverse design carries the famous St. George slaying the dragon design found on Gold Sovereigns 

British India Coinage:

 1) East India Company Quarter Anna Copper Coin which is one of the first issues under the Coinage Act 1835

2) Victoria Coinage: When she was Queen and afterwards Empress

3) Edward VII: King & Emperor  Coinage

4) George V King Emperor Coinage

5) George VI: The last of the British India Emperors Coinage 

Other British Royalty: 

1) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK

2) Commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953: A Five Pound Coin minted by the Royal Mint UK in 2013, depicting the Imperial State Crown

3) The Royal Coat of Arms of the UK: Great British 2012 Coin Set (Uncirculated) issued by the Royal Mint UK

4) Prince George's Christening Ceremony celebrated with coins issued by the Royal Mint UK in 2013

5) The British Empire:  A Case of Numismatic "segregation": (Guest Post by Rahul Kumar)

6) 1) The Portrait Collection: Various Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on Coinage 2) The Fourth & Final Circulating coinage of the Portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley and the First Edition of the portrait of the Queen made by Jody Clark

 British Coinage:

1) The contribution of the Great British One-Pound coins in keeping alive the historical legends/emblems/heritage of the UK (1983 onwards)

2) Transformation of a Five shilling Coin (Crown) into the UK Twenty-five Pence & then the Five Pound Coin

3) Transformation of the Two Shilling Coin (Florin) Coin into the UK Ten Pence

4) The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea: A Two Pound Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK celebrating the milestone

 Commemorative British Coinage:

 1) Commemorating the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens: A Two pound coin celebrating his literary contributions during the Victorian Era

 2) Commemorating 50 Years of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - presently called the World Wide Fund for Nature by issue of a Fifty Pence coin by the Royal Mint, UK

3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)

4) Commemorating 150 Years of the London Underground : Two pound Coins minted by the Royal Mint UK, showing the "Roundel" logo and a train emerging from a tunnel 

5) Commemorating the 100th Birth anniversary of Christopher Ironside with his" Royal Arms" design on a 50 Pence coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK 

6) 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta - the Universal Guidepost to Liberty and Freedom

Inspirations from Scottish History: 

1) The Legend of King Bruce & the Spider on Banknotes

Banknotes from Scotland:
  
1) Commemorating Sir William Arrol and his creation the Forth Rail Bridge by issues of Britain's first ever 5 Pound Polymer Banknote

History: 

1)Fort St. George, Chennai (Part I) : The Advent of the East India Co. in India & other related articles