TheFlorentineflorin was a gold coin (in ItalianFiorino d'oro) struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time.[1]
It had 54grains (3.499 grams, 0.1125troy ounces) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold[2] with a purchasing power difficult to estimate (and variable) but ranging according to social grouping and perspective from approximately 140 to 1,000 modernUS dollars. The name of the coin comes from theGiglio bottonato (it), the floral emblem of the city, which is represented at the head of the coin.[3]
Thefiorino d'oro (gold florin) was minted in theRepublic of Florence after the sack of Constantinople by theFourth Crusade disrupted the minting of fine gold coins in the Byzantine Empire. It came to be accepted across Europe like the ByzantineSolidus had been. The territorial usage of thelira and the florin often overlapped; where the lira was used for smaller transactions (wages, food purchases), the florin was for larger transactions such as those used in dowries, international trade or for tax-related matters.[4]
The first minting of the florin occurred in 1252. At the time the value of the florin was equal to thelira, but by 1500 the florin had appreciated; sevenlire amounted to one florin.[4]
In the 14th century, about 150 European states and local coin-issuing authorities made their own copies of the florin. The most important of these was theHungarian forint, because theKingdom of Hungary was a major source of European gold (until mining in theNew World began to contribute to the supply in the 16th and 17th centuries, most of the gold used in Europe came fromAfrica).[citation needed]
The design of the original Florentine florins was the distinctivefleur-de-lis badge of the city on one side and on the other a standing and facing figure ofSt. John the Baptist[5] wearing acilice. On other countries' florins, the inscriptions were changed (from "Florentia" around the fleur, and the name of the saint on the other), and localheraldic devices were substituted for the fleur-de-lis. Later, other figures were often substituted for St. John. On the Hungarian forints, St. John was re-labelledSt. Ladislaus, an early Christian king and patron saint of Hungary, and a battle axe substituted for the original's sceptre. Gradually the image became more regal looking.[citation needed]
The termflorin was borrowed elsewhere in Europe. A variant of the florin was theRheingulden, minted by several German states encompassing the commercial centers of the Rhein (Rhine) River valley, under a series of monetary conventions starting in 1354, initially at a standard practically identical to the Florentine florin (98% gold, 3.54 grams). By 1419, the weight had been slightly reduced (to 3.51 grams) and the alloy was substantially reduced (to 79% gold). By 1626, the alloy had been slightly reduced again (to 77% gold), while the weight was more substantially reduced (to 3.240 grams). In 1409, the Rheingulden standard (at the time 91.7% gold) was adopted for the Holy Roman Empire'sReichsgulden.[6]
TheDutch guilder is symbolized as Fl. orƒ, which means florijn (florin).
The Englishcoin first issued in 1344 byEdward III of England is also known as a florin. Originally valued at six shillings, it was composed of 108grains (6.99828grams) of gold with a purity of 23 carats and3+1⁄2 grains (or23+7⁄8 carats)[7][8] – and more recently (minted between 1849-1967 although circulating alongside the decimal ten pence coin until 1993 when it was withdrawn due to a resizing) relating to aBritish pre-decimalsilver coin (laternickel silver) also known as atwo shilling (or two bob) "bit" (abbreviation 2/-) worth 24 pence or one-tenth of a pound.
InIreland, a silverflorin coin (worth one-tenth of anIrish pound, withIrish inscriptionflóirín) was minted between 1928 and 1943; it becamecupronickel in 1943 and was withdrawn from use on 1 June 1994.[9]
TheHungarian forint, first introduced in 1325 under King Charles Robert, is named after the florin.[10]
 Historic currency and coinage of Italy | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview |  | |
| Ancient | ||
| Medieval | ||
| Modern | ||
| Contemporary | ||
