George VI Australian Florin
|
Obverse |
King George VI - Thomas Hugh Paget Legend : GEORGIVS VI : D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP |
|
Reverse |
Australian Coat of Arms - George Kruger Gray Legend: Florin Australia |
|
Composition |
1938-45: 92.5% Silver, 7.5% Copper |
|
Mass |
1.41 g |
|
Size |
28.5 mm (1 1/8") |
|
Actual Silver Weight (ASW) |
1938-1945: 0.33639 tr.oz.
1946-1952: 0.1818 tr.oz. |
The George VI Florin was minted 1938-1952. 1938 saw a change in both the reverse and obverse design of the Australian Florin. With the new monarch, the obverse was designed depicting George VI without a crown as had been the tradition carried through from colonial times. The reverse coat of arms was redesigned with a more stylised kangaroo and emu incorporating a sprig of wattle in the design and each State's coat of arms.
Through the wartime years the Australian 2s was typically weakly struck. This was because less time was being taken in die preparation, the dies were being used longer in the production runs and less care was being taken with quality controls because of the pressing wartime issues. In 1946 after the war had ended the silver content of all Australian silver coins including the florin was reduced to help pay back the massive war debt incurred.
There are no known varieties of the George VI 2s. It was minted in Melbourne but those with an S mintmark were minted in San Francisco, USA. There are 2 pattern types 1937 and 1946. Of the 1946 pattern there are only 4 known examples the majority owned by the Melbourne museum. The obverse has 146 rim denticles.