Rare: fewer than 500,000 minted. Sells often: 55 verified sales in the last 12 months.
1 Florin - Victoria 1st portrait 'Godless' type (1848–1849)
"Godless florin"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1848–1849 |
| Denomination | 1 Florin |
| Face value | 10p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | 1993 |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 11.310g · 0.3364 t oz |
| Diameter | 28.0mm |
| Thickness | 1.90mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | William Wyon |
| Rev. artist | William Dyce |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Crowned bust of Queen Victoria left, legend and date around.
VICTORIA REGINA 1849
Crowned cruciform shields of arms around central Tudor rose, national flower emblems in angles, legend above, denomination below.
ONE FLORIN ONE TENTH OF A POUND
'Godless' type Florin market value
Find this on eBay
Affiliate'Godless' type Florin price history
Daily limit reached'Godless' type Florin value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF | £195.00 🔒 eBay | £200.00 | – | £195.00 – £420.00 | 5 | 5 | 18-10-2026 | |
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| VF | £25.50 🔒 eBay | £115.00 | ▲76.9% | £16.81 – £595.00 | 48 | 48 | 22-10-2026 | |
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| VG | £28.00 🔒 eBay | £28.00 (1) | – | £28.00 – £28.00 | 1 | 1 | 28-09-2026 | |
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| MS-61 | £985.00 🔒 eBay | £985.00 (1) | – | £985.00 – £985.00 | 1 | 1 | 26-09-2026 | |
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About the 1848 1 Florin - Victoria – 'Godless' type
The 1848 1 Florin - Victoria – 'Godless' type is a circulating 1 florin coin issued from 1848 to 1849, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 11.31g and measures 28mm across. Reverse design: Crowned cruciform shields of arms around central Tudor rose, national flower emblems in angles, legend above, denomination below.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1993), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1848 1 Florin - Victoria – 'Godless' type worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1848 1 Florin - Victoria – 'Godless' type run from £28.00 to £985 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its silver content is worth about £13.47 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
Why is the 1849 florin called the Godless florin?
Its legend reads only VICTORIA REGINA 1849, leaving out D G for Dei Gratia (by the grace of God) and F D for Defender of the Faith. The omission caused an outcry, and the coin was redesigned with the full titles for the Gothic florin of 1851.
How many Godless florins were made?
About 414,000. Coin Hunter gives 413,820, CoinVarieties 414,000 and Wikipedia 413,320. That is low compared with the Gothic florins that followed, several of which were struck in millions a year in the 1850s.
Who designed the Godless florin?
The Chief Engraver, William Wyon, designed the crowned Gothic-style bust, and his initials WW appear behind it. Wikipedia credits the reverse of crowned shields in a cross to the artist William Dyce, who also designed the reverse of the 1847 Gothic crown.
Is an 1849 florin still legal tender?
No. Wikipedia records that florins remained legal tender as 10p pieces after decimalisation until the smaller 10p of 1992 replaced them, and were demonetised on 30 June 1993.
How do I identify the 1848 1 Florin - Victoria – 'Godless' type?
Check the weight 11.31g and diameter 28mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
In 1847 Sir John Bowring asked Parliament for decimal coins of one tenth and one hundredth of a pound, and the government agreed to issue a two-shilling piece, one tenth of a pound, to test opinion. Names such as centum, decade and dime were considered before florin was chosen, after the Dutch coin of similar size and value. To give the newcomer room, the half crown was not struck from 1850 to 1874.
The first florins are dated 1849. Their legend, VICTORIA REGINA, dropped the usual D G (by the grace of God) and F D (Defender of the Faith), and the coin became known as the Godless florin. Wikipedia records that the wording had been suggested by Prince Albert, but suspicion fell on the Master of the Mint, Richard Lalor Sheil, a Roman Catholic, who told the Commons it had been a mistake. The coin was redesigned, and the Gothic florin replaced it from 1851.
Coin Hunter gives 413,820 struck, with Wikipedia and CoinVarieties close to that figure.
William Wyon's obverse shows the Queen in a crown, the first crowned portrait of a monarch on British coins for nearly 200 years, in the Gothic style of the 1847 crown. His initials WW sit in the field behind the bust, clear of the inner circle, and the legend reads VICTORIA REGINA 1849. The reverse, designed by William Dyce, has four crowned shields in a cross (England twice, with Scotland and Ireland) around a central rose, with emblems in the angles and ONE FLORIN ONE TENTH OF A POUND around. Unlike the crown, the lettering is Roman. The coin is 28 mm across and has a milled edge.
Varieties and errors
The Royal Mint describes a rare variety on which Wyon's WW is nearly obliterated by the rim of the inner circle.
Collecting notes
Check the initials behind the bust to tell the normal coin from the WW obliterated variety. Pieces dated 1848 are patterns rather than circulation coins. The type that followed is the Gothic florin, and the florin as a denomination remained legal tender until 30 June 1993.
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)
- 1849 Victoria Silver Florin - 'Godless' type, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Two Shillings or Florin, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Coin values, 1848 and 1849 (year pages read one by one), Coin Hunter (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 1849 Victoria Silver Florin - 'Godless' type - WW Obliterated Variety, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1849 florin, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
More 1 Florin coins from nearby years
