1 Florin - George V 2nd issue (1920–1926)

One row for each year the 1 Florin - George V 2nd issue was struck. Prices are medians of verified sold listings matched to that year from the listing: circulated is worn condition up to Extremely Fine, uncirculated is About Uncirculated or better. A count in brackets means fewer than three sales behind the figure; a grey figure marked "type" is the median across every year, shown where that year has no sale of its own yet. Most types have been searched year by year only since October 2026, so later years are still filling in. Use the grade table below for a price by condition across all years.

About the 1920 1 Florin - George V 2nd issue

The 1920 1 Florin - George V 2nd issue is a circulating 1 florin coin issued from 1920 to 1926, struck in 50% silver. It weighs 11.31g and measures 28.5mm across. Reverse design: Crowned cruciform shields around central Garter star, sceptres in angles, denomination above, divided date below.

Mintage figures are recorded for 7 years between 1920 and 1926, 106,770,900 coins in all. 1925 is the scarcest date, with 1,404,100 struck. It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1993), so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

By the autumn of 1919 the price of silver had climbed so high that the Royal Mint Museum says striking sterling coin was close to becoming uneconomic. The Silver Coinage Act of 1920 reduced British silver coins from .925 to .500 fine, and the Mint struck the new alloy for the first time in April 1920. This florin is the result: the 1911 design, unchanged, in half-silver.

The new alloy gave trouble. The Royal Mint Museum notes that three different .500 alloys were used in the first two years alone, and Wikipedia says the changes were attempts to find a silver alloy that would stay attractive as it wore.

Coin Hunter and Wikipedia agree on every date, 106,771,223 in all. Output was heavy at first, peaking at 34,863,895 in 1921, then fell away: 4,582,372 in 1924 and only 1,404,136 in 1925, the lowest of the type. Kruger Gray's new design followed, in proof sets dated 1927 and for circulation from 1928.

The designs are still those of the proclamation of 23 January 1911. The reverse has four crowned shields arranged as a cross, four sceptres springing from the Star of the Garter in the centre, ONE FLORIN and the date. Wikipedia, citing Linecar, says it was developed inside the Royal Mint on the model of the 1887 double florin.

The obverse is Bertram Mackennal's bare head of George V facing left, signed BM on the truncation, with GEORGIVS V D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP. The edge is milled. Tony Clayton lists no modified-effigy florin for 1926, and Wikipedia dates the florin's slightly modified bust to 1927.

Collecting notes

1925 is the date to look for, and Clayton's value tables put it clearly above the rest of the type, with 1924 and 1926 next. The heavy dates of 1920 to 1923 are plentiful. No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this type.

Wikipedia's crown article says the post-1920 alloy tarnishes to a very dark colour after circulation, so many examples are dark and worn. The date is the only quick way to tell these from the sterling 1911 to 1919 florins. Like all florins, they were withdrawn at the end of June 1993.