1951 Australian Florin Federation Jubilee

Federation Jubilee Commemorative Coin

This is the third Australian circulating commemorative florin. It was issued to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Federation, 1901 - 1951.

The Australian Florin is a silver coin which was used in the Commonwealth of Australia prior to decimalisation. It has the same dimensions and composition as the British pre-decimal florin, from which it is derived (for a time, the coins circulated in parallel and were interchangeable in Australia - but not in the United Kingdom). A Florin is equal to two shillings, or 24 pence, or one tenth of a pound.

The reverse of the regular circulating Australian florin coins of the time features the 1908 Coat of Arms.

• Obverse: The obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King George VI facing left.
  
  Below the neck truncation in small letters, the artist's initials HP (for [Thomas] Humphrey Paget).
  
  Around, the monarch's legend: GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.. Translated from Latin: George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith.

• Reverse:  The reverse design depicts a sceptre and sword crossing below the Crown of St Edward and above the Federation Star with the stars of the Southern Cross around.
  
  Around above, AUSTRALIA; around below (and split into two parts by a star), the denomination FLORIN.
  
  Across the centre of the design lined up with the arms of the Southern Cross, the anniversary dates: to left, 1901 and to right, 1951.

Specifications