Collecting the Australian Florin
The Australian Florin is undoubtedly the most collected silver coin in Australia's history. The Australian 2s was issued from 1910 to 1963. Years that it was not issued were 1920, 1929, 1930, 1937, 1948, 1949, 1950 and 1955. The 1914H, 1915 and 1932 are considered rare and the 1911, 1912, 1933 and 1939 are considered scarce. When collecting the complete Florin series the collector should always apply the quality over quantity principle. Buy the best grade that you can afford at the time, and over the years you could try to upgrade each coin as you come across a better example and the budget permits. Current prices are such that even on a low budget the collector should be able to collect most post 1938 coins in UNC or better condition, the exception being 1939. Even the commemorative Florins are easily accessible with the exception being the Centenary Florin.
For type collectors there is no choice when selecting the Edward VII series with the 1910 issue being the only year it was run. The 1922 Florin is generally a weakly struck year. The relatively large size and weight of the Florin, combined with prominent unprotected fields in the design, make the coin susceptible to bag marks, nicks and scratches in the manufacturing process before the coins even reached circulation. There are some known examples of counterfeit Florins. Some obviously fake cast types but some very realistic struck examples. These forgeries were circualted through the years 1926, 1927, 1928 and 1931.