May 29, 2026

KEY DATE: 1905  ·  Mintage 1,187,596 — rarest Edwardian florin — retailing from £20 worn to over £1,500 in UNC

British Florin — Edward VII — 1902–1910 Two Shillings  ·  Britannia on Prow  ·  De Saulles Obverse & Reverse  ·  Complete Series Guide

KM# 801  ·  S.3981  ·  ESC 918–926  ·  Silver .925 (Sterling)  ·  28.3–28.5 mm  ·  11.31 g  ·  Reeded edge  ·  ASW 0.3364 troy oz

⚠ The Date Problem: Coincraft, who have traded Edward VII florins for decades, specifically warn: "The most difficult coin to find in collectable condition is the Florin. The trouble with the King Edward VII florins is that the date is in too high a relief. It is on the highest part of the coin, so it is also the first thing to wear off. You would be surprised at how many florins we get offered with the date worn off. Without the date they are just not good enough for our collectors." — Always check the date is clearly legible before buying or pricing an Edwardian florin.

De Saulles on Both Sides — A New Britannia for a New Reign

Like the shilling, the Edwardian florin was designed by George William de Saulles on both obverse and reverse — a complete departure from the Victorian florin's Gothic quartered shields design. His reverse for the florin is one of the most dramatic in British numismatic history: Britannia standing helmeted at the prow of a warship, trident in her right hand, shield on her left arm, with waves below and the sea horizon behind. This was a triumphant image of naval supremacy for the world's foremost maritime power — quite different from the seated Britannia of the copper coinage, and a far more assertive composition than anything that had appeared on the florin since the "Godless Florin" controversy of 1849. De Saulles died in August 1903, so he only saw two years of his florin design in circulation; it was used unchanged through the full nine years of the reign.

missing image
Obverse
Edward VII — de Saulles
DES below truncation
missing image
Reverse
Britannia on prow — de Saulles
ONE FLORIN TWO SHILLINGS
Denomination One Florin (Two Shillings / 2/-)
Country United Kingdom
Reign Edward VII (1901–1910)
Both Sides Designer George W. de Saulles (DES)
Reverse motif Britannia standing at ship's prow
Metal Silver .925 (sterling)
Diameter 28.3–28.5 mm
Weight 11.31 g
Edge Reeded (milled)
ASW 0.3364 troy oz
Mint Royal Mint, London
Catalogues KM#801 · S.3981 · ESC 918–926
Silver content: 11.31 g × 0.925 = 10.462 g pure silver = 0.3364 troy oz  ·  Bullion floor (approx. May 2026 at ~$33/oz): ~$11.10 USD / ~£8.80 GBP  ·  The florin contains exactly twice the silver of the shilling and four times that of the sixpence. The florin was worth 2 shillings = 1/10 of a pound — chosen as the florin denomination specifically because it was an exact decimal fraction of the pound (unlike the shilling at 1/20 or the halfcrown at 1/8). The florin was Britain's original attempt at decimal coinage, introduced in 1849 under the name "one florin, one tenth of a pound." The Edwardian series retains this dual-legend format: ONE FLORIN TWO SHILLINGS — decimal and traditional simultaneously.
History & Context
Design
Complete Series
Mint & Production
Valuation
Collecting Notes
Section Topic Notes
History & Context
History The Florin —
Two Shillings		 The florin — worth two shillings, one tenth of a pound — had a peculiar history among British denominations. Introduced in 1849 as Britain's first tentative step toward decimal coinage (see the dual legend ONE FLORIN TWO SHILLINGS), it had been controversial from the start: the original 1849 "Godless Florin" omitted Dei Gratia from the royal titles and caused a public scandal; the 1850–1887 "Gothic Florin" with its elaborate mediaeval design was admired but considered difficult to read in commerce. The Edwardian florin was therefore something of a fresh start — a modern, martial design after decades of Victorian Gothic. 24 pence = 2 shillings = 1 florin = 1/10 of a pound. The florin was the largest of the four smaller silver denominations (threepence, sixpence, shilling, florin) and the second largest silver coin in regular circulation, behind the halfcrown. Its decimal equivalence to one-tenth of a pound made it the natural denomination for any future decimalisation — and indeed, the pre-decimal florin became the decimal 10 new pence piece on 15 February 1971, circulating unchanged until 1992.
History Britannia &
British Sea Power		 De Saulles's Britannia standing at the ship's prow is a conscious statement of British naval supremacy at its late-Victorian and Edwardian peak. In 1902–1910, the Royal Navy was engaged in the naval arms race with Germany (the Dreadnought programme began 1906); Britain's command of the seas was the cornerstone of Imperial defence policy; and "Britannia rules the waves" was as much a contemporary political reality as a piece of nationalistic verse. Placing a helmeted, trident-bearing Britannia on the prow of a warship on the most widely circulated large silver denomination was a precise political statement as well as an aesthetic one. The florin's Britannia is quite different from the copper coinage Britannia (seated, helmeted, holding trident and shield on a rock by the sea — a passive, classical image). De Saulles's florin Britannia is active and forward-moving — standing, not seated, at the prow of a ship in motion. The difference reflects the more assertive mood of Edwardian imperialism.
History The Florin as
Pre-Decimal Pioneer		 The florin was the only pre-decimal coin to survive decimalisation physically unchanged. When Britain switched to decimal currency on 15 February 1971, the florin (worth 2 shillings = 24 pence) simply became the 10 new pence piece (worth 10p), and the existing florin coins remained legal tender at the new value. Pre-decimal florins continued to circulate alongside the new decimal 10p until the smaller 10p was introduced in 1992, at which point the old florins were finally withdrawn. This means that some Edwardian florins were still circulating in British pockets as late as 1992 — nearly 90 years after striking.
Design
Design Obverse The same de Saulles bare-headed portrait of Edward VII as appears on the shilling, sixpence, and threepence — but scaled up to the florin's 28.3mm diameter. At this size, the portrait has noticeably more detail: the collar, ear, and side-whiskers are all distinctly rendered. The legend reads EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP: in full. Below the truncation: DES. The larger diameter also means the portrait is more vulnerable to the light wear typical of coin-to-coin contact in circulation — the florin circulated heavily and unworn examples are meaningfully scarce.
Design Reverse —
Britannia on Prow		 De Saulles's reverse is exceptional: a full-length Britannia in classical armour and plumed helmet, standing erect at the bow (prow) of a warship. In her right hand: a trident, symbol of naval mastery. On her left arm: a shield. Waves crash below the prow. The horizon is barely visible behind her. Encircling: ONE FLORIN TWO SHILLINGS and below: the date. This was an entirely new design — replacing the Victorian Gothic quartered arms that had appeared on the florin for 40 years — and it was immediately recognised as a dramatic improvement. On a well-struck example in EF or better, the waves, the helmet plume, and the individual rivets of Britannia's armour can be seen clearly. The Britannia reverse on the florin was specifically designed by de Saulles rather than adapted from an existing Victorian design. The figure is related to his seated Britannia on the bronze penny but given a far more dynamic, martial character. This reverse was not continued on the George V florin — a new design (the quartered shields and cross, by Bertram Mackennal's reverse engraver) replaced it from 1911.
Design The Date Problem:
High Relief		 The most important practical note about the Edwardian florin reverse: the date is positioned at the highest point of the reverse, which is also the area of maximum wear in circulation. Coincraft, specialists in British coins for over 60 years, note explicitly: "The trouble with the King Edward VII florins is that the date is in too high a relief. It is on the highest part of the coin, so it is also the first thing to wear off." A large proportion of surviving Edwardian florins have partially or fully illegible dates. This design flaw makes the entire series harder to collect in any grade requiring a readable date — and makes well-preserved examples disproportionately scarce.
Complete Series — All Nine Dates
Series Mintages & Values
by Year
Year ESC Ref. Mintage Notes G–F (£) VF (£) EF–UNC (£)
1902 ESC 918 (P)
ESC 919 (C)		 2,189,575
+matt proofs		 First year. Coronation year. 1902 matt proof (ESC 918) is a separate collectible in satin finish. Currency issue ESC 919 is moderately available but harder than common-date shillings. £5 – £20 £30 – £55 £75 – £90+
1903 ESC 920 see note Scarce. Low mintage year — one of the harder dates to find in EF and above. Baldwin's offered a GEF example (contact marks) for £250; circulated examples at £25. Retailing up to £425. £5 – £30 £60 – £160 £300 – £430+
1904 ESC 921 see note Scarce. Similar to 1903 in difficulty. VF–EF examples require significant premium. Retailing up to £430. £5 – £28 £55 – £150 £280 – £430+
1905 ★★ ESC 922 1,187,596 KEY DATE — lowest mintage of the series. Mintage 1,187,596. Retails from £20 in worn condition — the minimum floor is far higher than common dates. EF: £500–£1,000+; UNC: £1,000–£1,500+. The rarest Edwardian florin by a significant margin. £20 – £80 £200 – £500 £800 – £1,500+
1906 ESC 923 see note Higher mintage. More available in circulated grades. Still scarce in true EF — a reflection of the date-wear problem across the whole series. Retailing up to £400. £5 – £18 £40 – £100 £200 – £400+
1907 ESC 924 see note Normal mintage year. Broadly similar to 1906. Retailing up to £410. £5 – £18 £40 – £105 £200 – £410+
1908 ESC 925 see note Scarcer than 1906/1907 in EF and above. Retailing up to £750 in UNC — notably higher than 1906/1907, suggesting a lower-than-average high-grade population. London Olympics 1908 context. £6 – £22 £55 – £150 £300 – £750+
1909 ESC 926a see note Scarce in EF and above. Retailing up to £600. The £600 top vs £750 for 1908 may reflect die state rather than mintage differences — both are meaningfully scarce in gem condition. £6 – £22 £50 – £130 £260 – £600+
1910 ESC 926b see note Last year of Edward VII. Death-year premium. Higher mintage — the most accessible date for circulated examples. EF–UNC values moderate at up to £260. Edward VII died 6 May 1910. £5 – £15 £30 – £80 £120 – £260+
Value ranges from allcoinvalues.com (1902 £5–£90; 1903 £5–£425; 1904 £5–£430; 1905 £20–£1,500; 1906 £5–£400; 1907 £5–£410; 1908 £6–£750; 1909 £6–£600; 1910 £5–£260), supplemented by Baldwin's (1906 GEF ~£250; 1903 GEF ~£250–425), eBay sold prices (1903 VG/F £25; 1905 circulated £8 raw; 1904 VF ~£30–40), and Coincraft notes on scarcity. Blue = first year; red = key date; amber = scarce; green = last year. Mintage figures: 1905 from eBay listing (1,187,596); 1902 from Royal Mint records (2,189,575); others not uniformly published — florin mintages were inconsistently reported in Royal Mint Annual Reports. Not investment advice.
Mint & Production
Mint Royal Mint,
London		 All Edward VII florins were struck at the Royal Mint, Tower Hill, London. No branch mint struck the florin; no mint mark appears. The florin's larger diameter (28.3–28.5mm) and heavier weight (11.31g) compared to the shilling (23.5mm, 5.66g) meant that the dies wore somewhat faster and that planchet quality was more critical to the final appearance of the coin. Dies for the florin were prepared with the Britannia reverse in reasonably high relief for Britannia herself, but the unfortunate decision to place the date in the highest zone of the reverse contributed directly to the wear problem noted by Coincraft.
Mint The 1905 Key Date:
Mintage 1,187,596		 The 1905 florin had a mintage of 1,187,596 — by far the lowest of the series, roughly half the 1902 mintage and dramatically below the higher years. The reason for the low production follows the same pattern as the 1905 shilling and 1904 sixpence and threepence — a combination of Treasury demand forecasts, carry-over stock from previous years, and normal production scheduling variation. Whatever the cause, the result is that the 1905 florin is the key date of the series: starting at £20 even in heavily worn condition, and reaching £1,500+ in uncirculated grade. Compare the 1905 shilling (488,390 — lowest of its series) and the 1905 florin (1,187,596 — also lowest of its series): 1905 was consistently the low-mintage year across the silver denominations. This pattern has led some numismatists to suggest that 1905 saw deliberately reduced coinage production across the silver denominations — possibly reflecting an unexpected surplus of silver coins in the commercial banking system that year.
Mint Scarcity Across
the Series		 The florin is distinctive among the Edwardian silver denominations in that every date in the series is genuinely scarce in EF and above — not just the 1905 key date. Even the "common" dates (1906, 1907, 1910) retail at £200–410+ in EF, compared to the shilling's common dates at £80–140 in EF. This overall scarcity reflects both the coin's heavy commercial circulation (it was used constantly and worn hard) and the date-wear problem. The Edwardian florin is therefore the most challenging of the five silver denominations to complete in high grade — even collecting a single attractive EF example of any date requires care and premium.
Valuation — Grade Guide
Value Grade Guide:
Common Dates
vs 1905
Grade Description Common dates (1906–10) (£) Scarce 1903/1904 (£) 1905 Key Date (£)
Fair / AG (1–3) Heavily worn; Britannia outline; coin identifiable; date may be gone — DO NOT BUY undated examples £2 – £5 (only if date clear) £3 – £8 £10 – £25
G–VG (4–10) Outline present; legends readable; date legible but may be weak £5 – £12 £5 – £20 £20 – £50
Fine (12–15) Britannia's features present; helmet plume traces; date sharp £8 – £20 £15 – £50 £50 – £120
VF (20–35) Good detail; Britannia's armour defined; waves present; date strong £35 – £80 £60 – £160 £200 – £500
EF / XF (40–45) Slight wear on Britannia's helmet, trident tips, and reverse date area only; most lustre gone £120 – £200 £200 – £320 £500 – £900
About UNC / AU Trace wear; significant original lustre; date area still crisp £180 – £280 £300 – £430 £800 – £1,200
UNC / MS-63+ Uncirculated; contact marks; full sterling lustre; date fully sharp £220 – £320 £400 – £500 £1,200 – £1,500+
Values in GBP. Common dates (1906, 1907, 1910) based on allcoinvalues.com (£5–£400; £5–£410; £5–£260). Scarce dates (1903, 1904) from allcoinvalues.com (£5–£425; £5–£430) and eBay sold prices. 1905 from allcoinvalues.com (£20–£1,500) and eBay (1905 worn £8 raw — circulated ungraded; Coincraft "scarce" stock note). All values are GBP retail estimates; USD approximately 1.25×. Not investment advice.
Value The Florin vs
the Shilling —
Relative Values		 The Edwardian florin commands higher premiums at EF and above than the shilling at every date. A common-date florin in EF (£120–200) costs more than a common-date shilling in EF (£55–100), and the scarce dates (1903, 1904 florin vs 1903, 1904 shilling) follow the same pattern. This reflects: (1) the date-wear problem making EF florins genuinely harder to find; (2) the florin's more dramatic and sought-after reverse design; (3) the coin's dual role as a large circulated piece (heavy wear) and a showpiece denomination (when preserved, very desirable). The 1905 florin (£200 in VF) costs less than the 1905 shilling (£200–600 in VF) despite being rarer in mintage, because the shilling is considered a more famous key date and attracts wider collector interest.
Collecting Notes
Collect The Date Rule Never buy an Edwardian florin without a fully legible date. Coincraft's warning is the single most important piece of collecting advice for this series. Before assessing grade or value, confirm the date. The date figures should be sharp, complete, and fully readable without a loupe in any coin offered as VF or better. A coin with a doubtful date — even in otherwise fine condition — is worth a fraction of its potential value. This rule applies equally to all nine dates; the 1905 with a worn date is as unsatisfying as the same condition in 1910.
Collect What to Look For After confirming the date: (1) Britannia's helmet plume — the individual feathers of the plume should be distinct at EF; soft but present at VF; merged in F. (2) Britannia's armour — the individual scale or rivet details on the breastplate and shield are the finest elements of the reverse; visible in EF and gem UNC; soft but present in VF. (3) The waves below the prow — individually shaped wave crests should be distinct in EF. (4) Edward VII's portrait on the obverse — the collar and side-whiskers wear first; DES below the truncation should be clear in EF. (5) Original lustre — full sterling lustre with the characteristic "cartwheel" appearance in raking light; cleaned coins show flat or hairlined fields.
Collect Building the
Complete Set		 A complete nine-date set in circulated grades with readable dates costs approximately £200–350 total for the six more available dates (1902, 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910) at F–VF, plus £50–120 for the 1903 and 1904, plus £50–120 for the 1905 in G–F. A VF complete set runs to approximately £600–900 total, with 1903, 1904, and 1905 each accounting for £60–200 of that. An EF complete set is a serious and expensive undertaking — budget £2,000–3,000 minimum — and the date problem makes the search as much about patience as about money.
Collect Problems to Avoid (1) Undated or weakly dated specimens — the cardinal rule; see above. (2) Cleaning — extremely common in florins; the large fields show hairlines and artificial brightness very easily. (3) Tooling on the date — the natural tendency to try to sharpen a worn date by engraving creates tell-tale inconsistencies in the metal flow around the numerals; check under magnification. (4) Altered dates — the 1905 key date premium tempts alteration; a 1906, 1907, 1908, or 1909 with a tampered date figure could easily be changed to resemble a 1905; verify with magnification and compare against reference images. (5) Matt proof confusion — the 1902 matt proof has a distinctive satin surface; do not price a currency 1902 as a proof or accept a proof priced as currency.
Collect Collection Contexts The Edward VII florin fits into: a complete nine-date Edwardian florin set; a British florin by monarch type set (the Victorian Gothic florin 1851–1887 → the "regular" Victorian florin 1887–1901 → the Edwardian Britannia florin 1902–1910 → the George V florin 1911–1936 — a fascinating design evolution over 85 years); an Edwardian silver set (halfcrown, florin, shilling, sixpence, threepence — all five silver denominations, all de Saulles portrait); a Britannia across denominations collection; or a decimal origins collection (florin as the original decimal coin from 1849). As the most visually dramatic of the five Edwardian silver denominations, the florin is often the centrepiece of an Edwardian silver type display.
Collect Related Coins Natural companions: the Edward VII shilling 1902–1910 (KM#800, same obverse portrait, lion-on-crown reverse, 23.5mm — companion article in this series); the Edward VII halfcrown 1902–1910 (KM#802, 32mm, 14.14g — the denomination above the florin; the 1905 halfcrown with mintage c.166,000 is an even rarer key date); the George V florin 1911–1936 (KM#817, same dual-legend format, Mackennal portrait, new quartered-arms reverse); and the decimal 10 new pence (successor denomination, 1968–present). For a comparison of Britannia reverse designs, the Victorian copper penny (seated Britannia by Leonard Charles Wyon) and the Victorian halfcrown (allegorical St George variants) provide the iconographic context.
The most dramatic reverse in the Edwardian silver series — Britannia standing at the prow of a warship, trident raised — on a coin where the date is the first thing to wear off. The Edwardian florin rewards the patient collector who insists on a sharp, fully readable date: in any grade where the date can be read clearly, it is a coin of genuine beauty.

Sources: Spink Standard Catalogue of British Coins (S.3981)  ·  Maurice Bull & Alan Rayner, English Silver Coinage Since 1649, 7th ed. — ESC 918–926  ·  Coincraft — Edward VII Florin full date set (specific warning re: date in high relief, "first thing to wear off")  ·  allcoinvalues.com — per-year value ranges (1902 £5–£90 through 1910 £5–£260; 1905 £20–£1,500)  ·  CoinBrothers catalog — KM#801, 11.31g, 28.3mm  ·  CPMcoins.com — specifications .925, 11.3g, 28.5mm; obverse & reverse both by de Saulles  ·  eBay Germany item #205653355241 — 1905 mintage 1,187,596 confirmed  ·  eBay Germany item #335901026522 — 1904 KM-801, ASW 0.3364 confirmed  ·  Baldwin's — 1906 GEF florin description (ESC 1415, S.3982, Bull 3592)  ·  Numista catalogue entry #4716 — 1 Florin Edward VII