1880 Gothic Florin mdccclxxx – Victoria

The 1880 Gothic Florin mdccclxxx - Victoria

The 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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