United Kingdom (Great Britain) George VI 1 Florin

History

1 Florin 1949-1951, KM# 878, United Kingdom (Great Britain), George VI

Obverse. Photo © NumisCorner.com

Description

The British two shilling coin, also known as the florin or "two bob bit", was issued from 1849 until 1967. It was worth one tenth of a pound, or twenty-four old pence.

George VI (1895–1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death. He was the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth.

As the second son of King George V, he was not expected to inherit the throne and spent his early life in the shadow of his elder brother, Edward. George's elder brother ascended the throne as Edward VIII upon the death of their father in 1936. However, later that year Edward revealed his desire to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin advised Edward that for political and religious reasons he could not marry a divorced woman and remain king. Edward abdicated in order to marry, and George ascended the throne as the third monarch of the House of Windsor.

Obverse	Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) George VI Bare head of the King George VI facing left. The legend is an abbreviated translation of “George VI by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains”. Engraver: Thomas Humphrey Paget GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX HP
Reverse	Crown, jewelry Tudor Crown Symbol, amulet, talisman Tudor rose Tree, flower, plant etc. Shamrock Crowned Tudor rose flanked by thistle and shamrock, legend above, denomination and date below. The legend is an abbreviated translation of “Defender of the Faith”. Georgius Rex (G R) is a Royal Cypher of George VI. The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty. When Henry VII took the crown of England from Richard III in battle (1485), he brought the end of the retrospectively dubbed "Wars of the Roses" between the House of Lancaster (one monarch of which had sometimes used the badge of a red or gold rose) and the House of York (which had lately used a white-rose badge). Henry's father was Edmund Tudor from the House of Richmond (maternally), and his mother was Margaret Beaufort from the House of Lancaster; in January 1486 he married Elizabeth of York to bring all factions together. (In battle, Richard III fought under the banner of the boar, and Henry under the banner of the dragon of his native Wales.) The white rose versus red rose juxtaposition was Henry's invention. The Tudor Crown, also known as the King's Crown or Imperial Crown, is a widely used symbol in heraldry of the United Kingdom. While various crown symbols had been used for this purpose for many years previously, the specific Tudor Crown design was standardised at the request of Edward VII. It was never intended to represent any actual physical crown, although in shape it bears a close resemblance to the small diamond crown of Queen Victoria. Engraver: George Edward Kruger Gray :FID: :DEF: G R TWO SHILLINGS 1950
Edge	Reeded (milled)