2 thoughts on “Victorian Gothic Florins: A Question – Joseph Short”
Hi Joseph,
That’s an interesting question. If I may add my two pence – which must be close to the missing silver when a Victorian gothic florin is reduced to a silhouette (8.3% light). The post 1816 silver coinage is a token coinage, so started off below bullion weight and was counted by number, but I think there is more to the question. Having seen accumulations of ‘pre 20’ and ‘pre 47’ accumulated from change in the late 60s and early 70s and when I culled the ‘silver’ sixpences from the school tuck shop in the late 70s, a grained edge and a silhouette seemed to be enough to allow the pieces to circulate.
From the practical side I don’t know how large organisations handled the worn coins – was everything counted or were there tolerances on the weighing machines? I surmise the Banks and Post Offices would sort the light weight pieces and send them back to the mint for recycling thus systematically removing the underweight and worn pieces.
Do any readers have inside knowledge of how the Banks and Post Offices’ criteria (tolerances) worked for the decision ‘return to circulation’ vs ‘return to the Mint’?
Hi Gary
Thank you very much for your reply to my question which is gratefully received . I apologise for the delay in my reply but being housebound I am totally dependent upon my laptop and I was incommunicado when my mouse suddenly broke down . Thanks to a friend , all is well .
Kindest regards
Joseph Short .
BNS Research Blog 
Hi Joseph,
That’s an interesting question. If I may add my two pence – which must be close to the missing silver when a Victorian gothic florin is reduced to a silhouette (8.3% light). The post 1816 silver coinage is a token coinage, so started off below bullion weight and was counted by number, but I think there is more to the question. Having seen accumulations of ‘pre 20’ and ‘pre 47’ accumulated from change in the late 60s and early 70s and when I culled the ‘silver’ sixpences from the school tuck shop in the late 70s, a grained edge and a silhouette seemed to be enough to allow the pieces to circulate.
From the practical side I don’t know how large organisations handled the worn coins – was everything counted or were there tolerances on the weighing machines? I surmise the Banks and Post Offices would sort the light weight pieces and send them back to the mint for recycling thus systematically removing the underweight and worn pieces.
Do any readers have inside knowledge of how the Banks and Post Offices’ criteria (tolerances) worked for the decision ‘return to circulation’ vs ‘return to the Mint’?
Hi Gary
Thank you very much for your reply to my question which is gratefully received . I apologise for the delay in my reply but being housebound I am totally dependent upon my laptop and I was incommunicado when my mouse suddenly broke down . Thanks to a friend , all is well .
Kindest regards
Joseph Short .