1954 Australian Florin Royal Visit

Royal Visit Commemorative Coin

This is the fourth and last Australian circulating commemorative florin. It was issued to commemorate the first visit of a reigning monarch to Australia.

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 laureate young bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right - her effigy known as the "First Portrait". The laurel wreath in the Queen's hair is tied with a ribbon with two ends flowing behind.
  
  The designer's initials, M.G. (for Mary Gillick) appear incuse on the base of the shoulder truncation, and can be seen when the coin is viewed at an angle.
  
  The monarch's legend runs continuously all around the bust: + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :. Translated from Latin: Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.

• Reverse:  Within a denticled (toothed) border, the reverse design shows a lion (as a symbol of the United Kingdom) and a kangaroo (as a symbol of Australia) standing together on a curved ground line facing right and looking into the distance.
  
  Around above, the inscription AUSTRALIA FLORIN; in the exergue, the date 1954.
  
  The artist's initials WLB (for William Leslie Bowles) are in the ground below the front foot of the lion.

Specifications