Australia • Florin (2 shillings)

Australian Half-Silver Florin — 1946–1963 Issues

Australian half-silver florins have .500 silver fineness, 11.31 g nominal gross mass and .1818 reference fine silver troy ounce per matching coin. Fourteen issue years are confirmed: 1946, 1947, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962 and 1963. The broad 1946–1963 envelope is not continuous production. A florin is two predecimal shillings. The genuine photographs show a 1951 George VI working strike with the arms reverse.

1951 Australian half-silver florin obverse - George VI portrait facing left
Obverse — Actual 1951 Melbourne arms working strike NU5084; not a proof, Jubilee reverse or authentication of another coin.
Museums Victoria; CC BY 4.0; WebP conversion · Image source · CC BY 4.0
1951 Australian half-silver florin reverse - coat of arms with FLORIN, 1951 and AUSTRALIA
Reverse — Actual 1951 Melbourne arms working strike NU5084; not a proof, Jubilee reverse or authentication of another coin.
Museums Victoria; CC BY 4.0; WebP conversion · Image source · CC BY 4.0

When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.

Verified coin specifications

Country
Australia
Face denomination
Florin (2 shillings)
Composition
50% silver; 50% alloy remainder
Gross weight (grams)
11.31
Fineness
0.5
Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
0.1818
Diameter (mm)
28.5
Edge
Reeded
Mint
Melbourne; identify the actual issue
Mint mark
The reference (m): Melbourne mint code
Restrikes
Patterns and later replicas excluded
Issue years
1946–1947, 1951–1954, 1956–1963

Fourteen confirmed dates across six .500 silver types. The broad envelope does not fill 1948–1950 or 1955. Jubilee and arms designs overlap in 1951; Royal Visit and arms overlap in 1954. Earlier sterling and the copper-nickel KM47a pattern are excluded; finish and actual type still require identification.

Source precision
The reference’s melt reference and six dated silver types report 11.31 g gross mass, .500 fineness and .1818 reference fine silver troy ounce. The photographed KM48-type 1951 arms florin has a 28.5-mm the reference diameter reference; KM40a for 1946–1947 reports 28.6 mm. Museums Victoria measures its individual 1951 working strike at 11.357 g and 28.5 mm; that object measurement does not replace nominal mass. The source describes a milled edge; the reference uses reeded. No thickness has been verified. Reported ASW is a rounded reference, not a customer assay. Earlier .925 florins and copper-nickel patterns are excluded.

Calculate this coin’s metal content

One coin contains 0.1818 troy oz of fine silver.

Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.

Obverse: identify the front

The photographed face shows George VI’s bare head looking left, with HP initials at the neck and a surrounding legend ending FIDEI DEF. It lacks IND IMP, consistent with the later George VI KM48 type. The reference credits this portrait to T. H. Paget. The 1953 and later Elizabeth II issues have Mary Gillick’s laureate right-facing bust, and the later KM60 legend adds F D. Read the actual legend and date; the photograph does not represent every portrait in the group.

Reverse: identify the back

The illustrated reverse reads FLORIN above and AUSTRALIA below the date 1951. A crown sits over the divided shield, with a kangaroo to the left and an emu to the right; wattle branches flank the animals and KG appears in the field. The reference attributes the arms design to George Kruger Gray. Other included reverses are different: the 1951 Jubilee shows crossed sceptre and sword, and the 1954 Royal Visit shows a lion and kangaroo. Country and denomination still need confirmation for each design.

History and purpose

The reference separates the .500 florin standard beginning in 1946 from earlier .925 sterling florins. George VI and Elizabeth II appear within the half-silver group, so a monarch alone cannot set the alloy. The 1951 Federation Jubilee and 1954 Royal Visit have commemorative reverses with the same sourced silver standard. The arms type continues through its 1963 issue. Museums Victoria identifies the photographed 1951 working strike as NU5084, made in Melbourne.

How to identify this variant

Confirm AUSTRALIA, the florin denomination, an actual listed year and the matching portrait and reverse. The standard is 11.31 g and .500 fineness; the photographed 1951 type uses a 28.5-mm reference diameter. The 1946–1947 the reference type displays 28.6 mm. Photograph the edge and record real measurements separately. A worn sterling florin may share similar size and design, while a 1951 pattern can share Jubilee imagery without containing silver. Date, alloy and type must be assessed together.

Understanding its metal content

One identified half-silver florin contributes .1818 reference fine silver troy ounce. Three matching pieces total .5454 reference ounce and 33.93 nominal gross grams. The nominal silver mass is 11.31 g × .500 = 5.655 g per coin. Use the reported reference ASW consistently rather than applying the earlier sterling amount or treating gross grams as pure silver. Different portraits and supported silver commemorative designs can share this calculation; unresolved alloys and the copper-nickel pattern cannot.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

The source-reviewed date display is 1946–1947, 1951–1954, 1956–1963. The reference’s annual tables do not list silver florin issues for 1948–1950 or 1955 in these six types. Both arms and Jubilee reverses occur in 1951; arms and Royal Visit reverses occur in 1954. The 1953 arms type includes normal and large reverse beads. Listed proof rows require finish identification; their presence does not make a working strike a proof. The reference’s parenthetical (m) identifies Melbourne in its table, not an assumed literal mark on the coin.

Half-silver florin types and confirmed dates

George VI KM40a — 1946–1947

Left-facing portrait and arms reverse. The reference gives 28.6 mm diameter and lists regular and proof rows in both years.

George VI KM48 — 1951–1952

Arms reverse; IND IMP is dropped from the obverse legend. The photographs show a 1951 working strike.

Federation Jubilee KM47 — 1951

Crossed sceptre and sword beneath a crown divide the Jubilee dates. This is the silver type; KM47a is a separate copper-nickel pattern.

Elizabeth II KM54 — 1953–1954

Laureate bust faces right with an arms reverse. The reference distinguishes normal and large reverse beads in 1953 and lists proof rows.

Royal Visit KM55 — 1954

Lion and kangaroo reverse, with Mary Gillick’s right-facing Elizabeth II bust. The reference lists regular and proof rows.

Elizabeth II KM60 — 1956–1963

The arms reverse continues; F D is added to the obverse legend. The reference lists every year from 1956 through 1963 with proof rows.

Melt value versus collector value

Separate the regular arms design, Jubilee and Royal Visit coins when documenting a collection. A supported proof attribution, the 1953 bead variety, condition and provenance can matter independently of metal content. Keep certificates and packaging with the matching coin and avoid cleaning surfaces. The museum photographs illustrate a working strike, not a proof grade or a customer valuation. The reference’s copper-nickel 1951 KM47a pattern is a distinct attribution with no silver amount approved in this calculator.

Authenticity and condition

Photograph both complete faces, the legend, date, denomination and actual edge. Record observed weight and diameter using suitable tools and keep those measurements separate from nominal specifications. Similar designs and correct approximate size do not establish silver content or authenticity. Keep unresolved, plated, altered or replica pieces out of the counted lot until they have been examined. An arms reverse from 1951 is identification evidence; the supplied museum image is not an assay or an authentication certificate for another coin.

Selling this coin

Sort half-silver Australian florins apart from earlier sterling pieces, other denominations, British or New Zealand florins, and non-silver patterns. Count only matching .500 issues here. Use the existing appraisal form with clear faces and any finish or variety information, plus real measurements when available. No current dollar melt price is configured. This educational silver reference does not establish a purchase offer or collector premium, and each submitted coin still needs identification.

Sources and calculation methodology

The reference’s melt reference and six dated silver types report 11.31 g gross mass, .500 fineness and .1818 reference fine silver troy ounce. The photographed KM48-type 1951 arms florin has a 28.5-mm the reference diameter reference; KM40a for 1946–1947 reports 28.6 mm. Museums Victoria measures its individual 1951 working strike at 11.357 g and 28.5 mm; that object measurement does not replace nominal mass. The source describes a milled edge; the reference uses reeded. No thickness has been verified. Reported ASW is a rounded reference, not a customer assay. Earlier .925 florins and copper-nickel patterns are excluded. The fourteen issue years and six design types were independently read from actual the reference annual tables. The separate KM47a table identifies the excluded copper-nickel pattern. Both image-specific museum reuse panels permit CC BY 4.0 and require attribution to Museums Victoria; no photographer is credited. The museum’s download labels are reversed: media 177352 visibly shows the portrait, while 177351 shows the arms. The page assigns sides by actual visual review. Original source images and rights observations are retained; WebP conversion keeps the original approximately 500-pixel dimensions without upscaling or invented detail.

Common questions

How much silver is in a 1951 Australian florin?

The sourced .500 silver types, including the arms KM48 and silver Jubilee KM47, report .1818 fine silver troy ounce and 11.31 g nominal gross mass. Three matching coins total .5454 reference silver ounce. A copper-nickel KM47a Jubilee pattern is excluded.

Were half-silver florins issued every year from 1946 to 1963?

No. The six the reference dated silver tables confirm 1946–1947, 1951–1954 and 1956–1963. They do not list issues in 1948–1950 or 1955. Portrait, reverse, mint and finish attribution still need examination.

Do the Jubilee and Royal Visit florins use the same silver amount?

The reference’s silver KM47 Jubilee and KM55 Royal Visit types share the .500 fineness, 11.31-g mass and .1818-ounce ASW reference. Their reverse designs and collector identities differ. The similarly themed KM47a copper-nickel pattern does not share that metal calculation.

References

Issue-year references

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-11. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

Related coins

1937 Australian silver crown obverse - George VI head facing left

Australian Silver Crown — 1937–1938

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

Australia • 92.5% silver; 7.5% alloy remainder

Issue years: 1937–1938

Fine silver: 0.841000 troy oz

Canadian Quarter — 80% Silver obverse — 1936 Canadian twenty-five cents, George V portrait and denomination/maple wreath; Flickr license independently reviewed on Commons.

Canadian Quarter — 80% Silver

Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.

Canada • 80.0% silver; balance copper

Issue years: 1920–1921, 1927–1967

Fine silver: 0.150000 troy oz

Have this coin or a collection?

Photographs can help identify your coin. An appraisal may consider authenticity, condition and collector demand as well as metal content.

Request a photo appraisal View current silver coin buying information
Verified by MonsterInsights