The 1880 Gothic Florin mdccclxxx - VictoriaThe 1880 Florin is a silver 2 shillings coin. Diameter is 28mm (1.10 inches) and weighs 11.31g (4/11ths of an ounce). Gothic type 'B8', Older portrait, SCBC 3900. Border has 34 arcs. A proof was also issued in 1880.
There is a very rare variant of the 1880 florin with a younger portrait, Gothic Type B3/8, SCBC 3899.
Despite the fact that the Florin was introduced in 1848 as an early attempt at decimalisation (it was one-tenth of a pound), the 1880 Florin uses Gothic script for the legend and has Queen Victoria dressed as she would have been in the middle ages. Even the date is in Roman numerals. It was based on the Gothic Crown of 1847. I'm not sure how many Victorians could read this coin, as about half of the country was illiterate in English at the time. It is still a beautiful coin.
The Obverse, by the Royal Mint's chief engraver William Wyon, shows Queen Victoria in a Gothic-style dress, wearing an ornate crown. The Monarch wearing a crown was unusual at the time. The legend is Gothic script. The earlier omission of DG has been corrected, so these are not 'Godless'. The date is in lowercase Roman Numerals: 'mdccclxxx' is 1880. No initials ('W W') below the bust. No die number.
The Reverse, by Scottish artist William Dyce, shows crowned cruciform shields with emblems in angles. Legend in Gothic script.Edge reeded.
Image credit: M J Hughes Coins
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Mintage: 2,167,160 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 1880 ?
UK: Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister is Benjamin Disraeli (Conservative), but on 23 April it is William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal). Great fogs continue to engulf London. Greenwich Mean Time adopted as the legal standard. First Boer War starts.
USA: President is Rutherford B. Hayes (R-Ohio). It the United States Census year and the population is counted as 50,155,783. Wabash, Indiana becomes the first city lit by electric lighting in the world. The University of Southern California (USC) opens and has 53 students, it is the oldest private research University in California.
USA: President is Rutherford B. Hayes (R-Ohio). It the United States Census year and the population is counted as 50,155,783. Wabash, Indiana becomes the first city lit by electric lighting in the world. The University of Southern California (USC) opens and has 53 students, it is the oldest private research University in California.
Victoria (1837-1901)
Victoria was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she adopted the additional title of Empress of India. Victoria ruled for 64 years, a record only recently surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II.Victoria's parents were Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathern, and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She married Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who later became known as Prince Albert. Victoria had nine children, the eldest son succeeding her as Edward VII.
Victoria posed for a number of head portraits, but there are generally three major variants: Young Head (1838-1887) by William Wyon, RA; Jubilee Head (1887-1893) by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm and Old Head (1893-1901) by by Sir Thomas Brock.
Category: Florins
The Florin is a 2 shillings coin, one-tenth fo a pound sterling. The British florin was issued from 1849 until 1967, with a final collectors coin dated 1970. After decimalisation it became the 10p piece.Specifications:
- Mass 11.31 g
- Diameter
- (1849) 28.0 mm
- (1851–1886) 30.0 mm
- (1887–1892) 29.5 mm
- (1893–1970) 28.5 mm
- Edge is Milled
- Composition:
- (1849–1919) 92.5% Ag
- (1920–1946) 50% Ag
- (1947–1970) Cupronickel. No silver.
Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.
Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history. The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
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| 1880 Florin - Victoria British Silver Coin - Very Nice £ 145.00 |
| 1880 Queen Victoria Silver Gothic Florin .925 Coin (VF GRADE) Nice Sharpe Edge £ 42.00 |
| 1880 Queen Victoria Silver Gothic Florin 925 Coin, Fine, clear Date & Effigy £ 28.50 |
| Victoria, silver gothic florin 1880 (MDCCCLXXX), high grade, lustrous, scarce £ 278.20 |
 | 1880 Gothic Florin - Victoria British Silver Coin*67 £ 160.00 |
 | 1880 Florin Pre 1920 Silver Coin Queen Victoria 925 Sterling Not Scrap £ 42.00 |
 | VICTORIA GOTHIC FLORIN CHOICE OF DATE / YEAR £ 24.99 |
 | 1880 Gothic 1 Florin Coin 925 Silver £ 25.00 |
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