British Coins Two Shillings or Florin 1964 Queen Elizabeth II
Obverse: Portrait of Elizabeth II facing right and the words "+ ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA" is a Latin title meaning Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God Queen.
Engraver: Mary Gillick
Reverse: Central Tudor rose surrounded by thistles, shamrocks and leeks. (The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.)
Lettering: FID: DEF: TWO SHILLINGS 1964 E·F C·T
Engraver: Cecil Thomas
Edge: Reeded
Years: 1954-1970.
Value: 2 Shillings = 1 Florin.
Metal: Copper-nickel.
Weight: 11.3 g.
Diameter: 28.5 mm.
Thickness: 2.5 mm.
Shape: Round.
Two shilling coin
The British two shilling coin, also known as the florin or "two bob bit", was issued from 1849 until 1967. It was worth one tenth of a pound, or twenty-four old pence. It should not be confused with the medieval gold florin, which was nominally worth six shillings.
In 1968, in the run-up to decimalization, the two shilling coin was superseded by the decimal ten pence coin, which had the same value and initially the same size and weight. It continued in circulation, alongside the ten pence coin, until 1993, when the 10p was reduced in size.
Elizabeth II, 1952–1967
Florins were produced for Queen Elizabeth II each year between 1953 and 1967, with proof coins again produced in 1970. The obverse shows the Mary Gillick head of Queen Elizabeth, inscribed ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA BRITT OMN REGINA (1953 only) or ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA (all other years), while the reverse shows a tudor rose in the centre surrounded by thistles, shamrocks, and leeks, with the inscription FID DEF TWO SHILLINGS date. In accordance with the plan for decimalisation of the currency (120 years after this denomination was first introduced in the first plan to introduce a decimal currency), from 1968 the decimal ten pence coin was introduced of the same size, weight, and metal composition as the florin. Florins (usually dated 1947 or later) remained in circulation until the size of the decimal ten pence was reduced in 1992, and they were finally demonetized on 1 July 1993.