2 Shillings - George VI without 'IND:IMP' (1949–1951)

One row for each year the 2 Shillings - George VI without 'IND:IMP' 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 1949 2 Shillings - George VI without 'IND:IMP'

The 1949 2 Shillings - George VI without 'IND:IMP' is a circulating 2 shillings coin issued from 1949 to 1951, struck in copper-nickel. It weighs 11.31g and measures 28.5mm across. Reverse design: Crowned Tudor rose dividing royal cypher below thistle and shamrock, legend above, denomination and date below.

Mintage figures are recorded for 3 years between 1949 and 1951, 80,384,047 coins in all. 1950 is the scarcest date, with 24,357,400 struck. It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1993), so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

On 22 June 1948 a proclamation removed Indiae Imperator, Emperor of India, from George VI's royal title. A second proclamation, dated 22 December 1948 and in force from 1 January 1949, set out coin designs without IND IMP. Wikipedia describes the change as an acknowledgement of India's independence.

The florin of this type was struck in cupro-nickel for 1949, 1950 and 1951. Coin Hunter and Wikipedia agree on 28,614,939 for 1949, but differ for the other two years: Coin Hunter has 24,357,490 and 27,411,747, Wikipedia 24,375,003 and 27,431,747. Either way the three dates come to about 80 million, and 1950 is the lowest.

No florin was issued dated 1952. Coin Hunter's 1952 page lists none, and Tony Clayton notes that none of the half crown, florin or shillings was officially issued with that date. The florin returned in 1953 with Elizabeth II's portrait and a new reverse.

The design stayed as it was in 1937 apart from the legend. The proclamation describes a rose, thistle and shamrock under a crown, with G and R below and the inscription FID DEF, together with TWO SHILLINGS and the date. Wikipedia's article on George Kruger Gray, who designed the original reverse, says that the 1949 rearrangement was made by another hand and so no longer carries his initials.

The obverse is Humphrey Paget's portrait of the King facing left, the effigy the Royal Mint Museum says has been described as the classic coinage head of the 20th century. The legend GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX means George VI, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains. The edge is milled.

Collecting notes

The short legend on the reverse is the way to tell this type from the 1947 and 1948 florin with IND IMP. Tony Clayton lists proofs dated 1950 and 1951 alongside the ordinary coins.

No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this type. Florins were revalued at 10p in 1971 and the Royal Mint Museum records that they were finally withdrawn when the old large 10p ceased to be legal tender at the end of June 1993.