Item number: A1681

Year: AD 1921

Material: Silver (.500)

Size: 28.4 x 28.4 x 1.7 mm

Weight: 10.95g

Manufactured by: Tower Hill Royal Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a one-florin silver coin minted in AD 1921 by the Royal Mint at Tower Hill and issued by the Bank of England in the name of King George V. Ten florins were equivalent to one pound sterling.

The obverse of the coin features a left-facing effigy of King George V, the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom at the time. Encircling the portrait is the Latin inscription “GEORGIVS V D:G: BRITT: OMN:REX F:D·IND:IMP,” which is an abbreviation of “Georgius V Dei Gratia Britanniarum Omnium Rex Fidei Defensor Indiae Imperator,” translating to “George V, by the Grace of God, King of All the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.” Due to wear on the coin, the engraver’s initials are indistinct; however, based on other examples, the initials “B.M.” should appear at the base of the neck, representing the signature of the portrait’s designer, the Australian sculptor Edgar Bertram Mackennal. Mackennal was the first Australian to exhibit at the Royal Academy of Arts, and his works were widely celebrated in Britain, Australia, and France. However, his most publicly renowned creations were undoubtedly the coronation medals, coinage, and postage stamp effigies of George V. The king was evidently particularly fond of Mackennal’s work, commissioning him on multiple occasions for official portraits.

The reverse of the coin prominently displays a star-shaped depiction of the Order of the Garter, encircled by four shields arranged in a cross, with four sceptres positioned between them. The Order of the Garter is the highest order of chivalry in the United Kingdom. The upper and lower shields bear the three passant lions of the Kingdom of England. The right shield, featuring a rampant lion, represents the Kingdom of Scotland, while the left shield, displaying a harp, symbolises the Kingdom of Ireland. Each shield is surmounted by a Tudor crown. The four sceptres are topped respectively with an orb, a thistle, and a harp, all elements derived from the heraldry of their respective nations. The surrounding legend includes “ONE FLORIN” at the top, denoting the coin’s denomination, and “1921” at the bottom, indicating the year of issue. The design of the reverse follows that of the florin introduced in AD 1887 during the reign of Queen Victoria, created by Leonard Charles Wyon, the Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint, who served from AD 1851 to 1893. The original design of the reverse was highly detailed, but due to excessive die wear, it was soon revised to a less intricate form.

George V (AD 1865-1936) was the King of the United Kingdom of the House of Windsor, reigning from AD 1910 to 1936. The son of King Edward VII, he was not originally expected to inherit the throne. However, following the premature death of his elder brother, Albert Victor, he became heir apparent and eventually ascended the throne. During his reign, George V oversaw Britain’s involvement in the First World War and, in AD 1917, changed the name of the royal house from the German-associated “House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha” to the “House of Windsor” to safeguard the monarchy’s public image. In the post-war period, he faced social unrest, Irish independence, the rise of the Labour Party and Britain’s first socialist minority government, as well as the global economic crisis. His respect for constitutional governance helped solidify Britain’s constitutional monarchy, and he was widely regarded as a stable and pragmatic ruler, earning public affection. His health deteriorated in his later years, and he passed away in AD 1936, succeeded by his son, Edward VIII.

The florin was part of the British government’s efforts in the 19th century to introduce a decimal currency system, borrowing its name from the gold coins of the Republic of Florence issued between the 13th and 16th centuries. Its value was set at one-tenth of a pound, or two shillings. The first florin was minted in AD 1849 and was subsequently issued annually, gradually replacing non-decimal coinage. Initially, florins contained 92.5% sterling silver, but in AD 1920, in response to soaring silver prices following the First World War, the government reduced the silver content to 50%. This measure aimed to lower minting costs, prevent the outflow of precious metals, and ensure a sufficient supply of circulating currency in the context of monetary contraction and economic recession caused by Britain’s strenuous efforts to maintain the gold standard. In AD 1968, the ten-pence coin was introduced with the same specifications as the florin, circulating alongside it and effectively replacing it. The florin was officially demonetised and ceased circulation in AD 1993.

The Royal Mint at Tower Hill commenced coin production in AD 1809, following its relocation from the Tower of London. This move was necessitated by the growing demand for sterling currency and the adoption of new minting technologies. Beginning in AD 1966, the Royal Mint gradually transferred its operations to Llantrisant, Wales, and in AD 1975, the last coin was struck at the Tower Hill facility. In 2018, the former site of the Tower Hill Mint was sold to the People’s Republic of China, a transaction that sparked some controversy.

物件編號: A1681

年代: 公元 1921 年

材質: 銀 (500‰)

尺寸: 28.4 x 28.4 x 1.7 mm

重量: 10.95g

製造地: 塔山皇家鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚公元1921年，由塔山皇家鑄幣廠鑄造，英格蘭銀行以喬治五世之名發行的1弗羅林銀幣。10弗羅林等於1英鎊。

銀幣正面中央是時任英國國王的喬治五世的左側肖像，頭像周圍環繞著拉丁簡寫「GEORGIVS V D:G: BRITT: OMN:REX F:D·IND:IMP」，即「Georgius V Dei Gratia Britanniarum Omnium Rex Fidei Defensor Indiae Imperator」，意為「喬治五世，蒙上帝恩典，大不列顛國王，信仰的捍衛者，印度皇帝」。於該銀幣因磨損而無從辨認，但對比其他資料，肖像頸部應有「B.M.」，為肖像設計者，澳洲雕塑家埃德加·伯特倫·麥肯納爾(Edgar Bertram MacKennal)的署名。麥肯納爾是第一位在皇家藝術學院展出作品的澳大利亞人，作品在英國、澳大利亞與法國均受到廣泛歡迎。但讓他在普羅大眾中聲名鵲起的代表作，無疑為喬治五世的加冕勳章與硬幣、郵票上的肖像。喬治五世顯然特別青睞麥肯納爾的作品，此後也委託多次他創作。

銀幣背面中央為星型嘉德勳章，周圍四面盾徽排列成十字，十字的四幣中再夾著權杖。嘉德勳章為英國最高騎士團勳章。上方與下方的三獅行走盾徽，代表英格蘭王國。右方人立雄獅盾徽，代表蘇格蘭王國。左方豎琴盾徽，代表愛爾蘭王國，四面盾徽頂端均乘載著都鐸王冠。四支權杖頂端分別為十字聖球、薊花與豎琴，都是各自國徽上的元素。周圍環繞著幣文，上端幣文「ONE FLORIN」標示面額為1弗羅林，下端幣文「1921」標示了發行年。銀幣背面沿用的是維多利亞女王時代，公元1887年起舊弗羅林的設計，設計者為英國皇家鑄幣廠首席雕刻師利奧納德·查爾斯·懷恩(Leonard Charles Wyon)，公元1851年至1893年在任。銀幣背面的圖案最初非常細緻，但也導致鑄模的耗損過高，很快的改為細節較模糊的形式。

喬治五世(生卒年公元1865年至1936年)是英國溫莎王朝的國王，公元1910年至1936年間在位。他是英王愛德華七世之子，原本未被預期繼承王位，但由於長兄阿爾伯特·維克多早逝，他成為王儲並最終登基。在位期間，喬治五世見證了英國在第一次世界大戰中的參與，並於公元1917年將王室名稱從原本帶有德國色彩的「薩克森-科堡-哥達王朝」改為「溫莎王朝」，以維護英國王室的形象。戰後，他面對社會動盪、愛爾蘭獨立、工黨崛起與第一個社會主義少數派政府，以及世界經濟危機等挑戰。他以對憲政體制的尊重鞏固了英國君主立憲制的基礎，被認為是一位穩定而務實的國王，深受愛戴。他的健康狀況晚年惡化，最終於公元1936年去世，其子愛德華八世繼位。

弗羅林銀幣是19世紀英國政府推進貨幣十進制化政策的一部分，借用13至16世紀佛羅倫斯共和國金幣的名稱，其價值為1/10英鎊，即2先令。第一枚弗羅林於公元1849年鑄造，此後每年發行，直到自然取代非十進制硬幣。原本弗羅林的含銀量為925‰的白銀，但公元1920年，一戰結束後銀價飆升導致政府降低含銀量至500‰的白銀，以降低鑄幣成本、減少貴金屬外流，以及在艱難維持金本位制而造成貨幣緊縮、經濟衰退的背景下，保證市場上足量的貨幣流通。公元1968年起，發行十便士，型制與弗羅林完全一致，並行流通，並實質上取代。公元1993年，弗羅林被廢止，停止流通。

塔山皇家鑄幣廠於公元1809年開始生產英國硬幣，自倫敦塔搬遷至塔山，是為了適應英鎊的需求增加與新技術的引進。公元1966年起，皇家鑄幣廠逐漸搬遷至威爾士蘭特里桑特，公元1975年，塔山鑄幣廠生產最後一枚硬幣。公元2018年，塔山鑄幣廠舊址被售予中華人民共和國，引發了一些爭議。