2 Florins - Victoria 'Double-Florin' Pattern (1868)
Circulating version: 1868 Half Farthing - Victoria Copper-nickel Pattern
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1868 |
| Denomination | 2 Florins |
| Face value | 20p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Gold |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Crowned portrait of Queen Victoria to left
Value and date inside wreath, second value above.
Find this on eBay
AffiliatePattern 2 Florins price history
Daily limit reachedAbout the 1868 2 Florins - Victoria 'Double-Florin' – Pattern
The 1868 2 Florins - Victoria 'Double-Florin' – Pattern is a collector 2 florins coin, struck in gold. Reverse design: Value and date inside wreath, second value above.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1868 2 Florins - Victoria 'Double-Florin' – Pattern worth?
No verified sale of the 1868 2 Florins - Victoria 'Double-Florin' – Pattern has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
What is the 1868 gold double florin?
A pattern, or trial piece, struck at the Royal Mint's Tower Hill site. The Royal Mint Museum's example is gold and weighs only 1.64 g. USPatterns.com places it among the international patterns of 1867 to 1868, describing it as a double florin and 5 franc piece.
Was the 1868 double florin ever legal tender?
No. It was a pattern for a proposed coin that was never adopted. The double florin that did circulate was a large silver coin issued from 1887 to 1890 with the Jubilee Head, quite a different piece.
Why would Britain make a coin worth both two florins and five francs?
In the late 1860s several countries experimented with coins that would fit a common international standard. USPatterns.com shows related French and American pieces, including a gold 10 florin and 25 franc piece, alongside the British double florin and 5 franc pattern.
How is the 1868 2 Florins - Victoria 'Double-Florin' – Pattern different from the circulating coin?
This is a collector version of the 1868 Half Farthing - Victoria Copper-nickel Pattern, not the coin found in change. It is struck in gold rather than nickel.
History and design
In the late 1860s France, the United States and Britain all struck pattern coins carrying two denominations, one of them in francs, as part of moves towards an international coinage. USPatterns.com, which catalogues the American pieces, shows French and British companions to the United States' international patterns of 1867 to 1868, including a British double florin and 5 franc piece, Wilson & Rasmussen 372, which it describes as similar in size to an American gold dollar.
The Royal Mint Museum holds an example: a gold pattern double florin dated 1868, struck at Tower Hill, weighing 1.64 g, with a plain edge. Its records also list a reverse electrotype of the same 1868 double florin. No such coin was ever issued, and the record gives no number struck.
The museum example is catalogued as Wilson & Rasmussen 372 and appears in the Royal Mint's own collection catalogues of 1874 (Webster) and 1906 (Hocking). The museum entry does not describe the design, so the legends and portrait are not given here.
Varieties and errors
USPatterns notes that the piece exists with a plain edge (Wilson & Rasmussen 372) and a reeded edge (Wilson & Rasmussen 373), and that a cased pair of both has appeared at auction.
Collecting notes
This is a pattern, not a coin that circulated. It is a very small gold piece and should not be confused with the large silver double florin of 1887 to 1890, which shares only the name. Check the edge against the two catalogued types and the weight against the museum's 1.64 g example.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Victoria pattern double-florin, 1868 (RMM 4350), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Victoria double-florin reverse electrotype, 1868 (RMM 4351), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 1867-8 International Patterns, USPatterns.com (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Double florin, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
