The two-shilling coin, also known as a ‘florin’, was issued from 1849 until 1967. With a value equal to one-tenth of a pound, it was introduced as the first attempt at bringing decimalisation to the British currency. However, the coin was removed from circulation following the official change to decimalisation. 

This florin was struck during the short reign of Edward VII, who was king from 1901 to 1910. The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Edward VII was a popular and successful monarch who ruled during the golden age of the British Empire.

The florins produced in this era broke from tradition and were produced with a portrait of Britannia on the reverse. Previous variations of the florin simply featured the shields of the United Kingdom.