Double-Florin Anniversary Two-Coin Silver Set Offered by UK Mint

A new silver set has been issued by the UK Royal Mint celebrating the 125th anniversary of one of the shortest lived British coins in history. The Double-Florin Anniversary Two-Coin Silver Set is available now, albeit perhaps for a short time owing to a very limited mintage of just 125 sets.

Included as part of the new silver set is an original ‘very fine’ condition double-florin silver coin dated between 1887 and 1890. The classic coin is joined by a modern 2012 20p silver coin.

Double-Florins made their debut in 1887 as part of a short movement towards decimalization of the national currency. The .925 sterling silver coins enjoyed a short run, however, as production on the strike ended just four years later. Owing to the history, limited release and uniqueness of the coin, Double-Florins have become a favorite of many collectors.

A portrait of Queen Victoria with a trailing veil graces the obverse of the classic coin as designed by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm. Surrounding the Queen is the inscription of "VICTORIA – DEI GRATIA" which stands for " Victoria – by the grace of God."

The reverse of the century-plus old coin features a four crowned cruciform shields design with scepters that was the work of Leonard Wyon. The shields bear two emblems of England, one for Scotland and one for Ireland. Reverse inscriptions of the strike include "FID DEF BRITT REG" (Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith) and the date.

Issued as the second coin in the set is a 2012 silver 20p coin, the modern-day equivalent to the classic Double-Florin. The silver 20p celebrates a special anniversary of its own as it was first struck thirty years ago.

Double-Florin Anniversary Set Coin Specifications

	Double-Florin	2012 20p Coin
Denomination	Four shillings	20p
Composition	.925 silver	.925 silver
Weight (g)	22.60	5.0
Diameter (mm)	36.00	21.40

  

The limited edition two-coin silver set comes in a presentation box with a booklet detailing the history of the included coins and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Also included is a reprint of a numismatic paper on the double-florin written by Graham Dyer OBE FSA.

The Double-Florin Anniversary Set is available now directly from the Royal Mint website at www.royalmint.com for a price of £145.00 (~$174.00 US), plus shipping.