1 Decade - Victoria Pattern (1848)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1848 |
| Denomination | 1 Decade |
| Face value | 1p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 11.220g · 0.3337 t oz |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Head of the Queen facing left wearing ribbon in hair.
At centre within an open wreath of oak, above a trident.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1848 1 Decade - Victoria Pattern
The 1848 1 Decade - Victoria Pattern is a collector 1 decade coin, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 11.22g. Reverse design: At centre within an open wreath of oak, above a trident.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1848 1 Decade - Victoria Pattern worth?
No verified sale of the 1848 1 Decade - Victoria Pattern has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £13.32 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
What is the 1848 decade pattern?
It is a trial piece from the run-up to Britain's first decimal coin. In 1847 Parliament was promised a coin worth one tenth of a pound, and Wikipedia, citing Coincraft, records that centum, decade and dime were among the names discussed before florin was chosen. A piece named decade is a pattern for that coin.
Was the decade ever legal tender?
No. The tenth of a pound coin was issued in 1849 under the name florin, with the inscription ONE FLORIN ONE TENTH OF A POUND. No coin called a decade was ever issued for circulation in Britain.
How many 1848 decade patterns were struck?
No striking figure is published. The Royal Mint Museum holds a series of silver pattern florins dated 1848, struck at Tower Hill under approvals recorded in its archive, but its online records do not give their inscriptions or any striking figure.
How do I identify the 1848 1 Decade - Victoria Pattern?
Check the weight 11.22g and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The decade belongs to the first, short-lived attempt to decimalise the British coinage. Wikipedia's florin article records that in 1847 Sir John Bowring moved in Parliament for a decimal currency, with coins of one tenth and one hundredth of a pound, and that the government promised a tenth of a pound coin to test public opinion.
What to call the new coin was argued over. Citing the Coincraft catalogue, Wikipedia lists centum, decade and dime among the names suggested before florin was chosen, after the Dutch coin of about that size and value. This entry is a silver pattern dated 1848 catalogued under the name decade, from the period when that choice was still open. The coin finally issued in 1849 was the florin, inscribed ONE FLORIN ONE TENTH OF A POUND.
The decade pattern's design, legend and designer are not documented in the published references available online, so none is given here. The Royal Mint Museum's own 1848 pattern florins, struck at Tower Hill and weighing between 11.09 and 11.24 g, give an idea of the trials made that year, with plain or milled edges.
Collecting notes
This piece was never issued as money, and nothing about how many were struck is recorded. Tony Clayton notes scarce proofs dated 1848 of the Godless florin type, CoinVarieties describes an 1848 pattern florin known only as a proof, and the Royal Mint Museum holds twelve 1848 pattern florins. Any piece offered as a decade should be matched to a standard catalogue reference such as ESC before it is accepted as one.
The coin that was adopted is the Godless florin, and the catalogue's own 1848 pattern florin entry covers the trial pieces under that name.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Florin (British coin), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Victoria pattern florin, 1848 (RMM 3960), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Object search: Victoria pattern florin 1848 (12 Royal Mint Museum records), Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Two Shillings or Florin, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1848 florin, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)