david.bordeaux

Apart from the size of the gap below the bust and the bottom of the veil, the position of DEI GRATIA is different and the nose, mouth, chin and neck are different: I haven't counted the teeth around the edge (yet!).

Yes, there are two varieties of 1888 florin obverse: ESC 2955 with the large gap below the bust (same as the 1887 obverse) and ESC 2956 with the narrow gap (same as 1889-1892). The bottom of the veil is also slightly different.

I have been looking for a "wide gap" 1888 florin for a while, and finally got one today. Quite a bargain, too, as it cost less than what I paid for the much more common "narrow gap" variety 2 years ago (shown below for comparison).

All my florins from 1912 to 1919 have a weak strike on the upper shield, but in my case the best is the 1915:

And the second from 1980: Dickinson, M. J., 1980.pdf

Thanks very much, this is very helpful. I have managed to dig out the Dickinson articles. Here is the first one from 1978: Dickinson, M. J., 1978.pdf

Can anyone confirm that there is actually only one variety of 1887 Gothic Florin? Older reference books list two varieties, one with 33 arcs (like the 1881-1886 florins) and another with 46 arcs. My copy of ESC (4th edition, 1974), has ESC865 (33 arcs) rarity “S” and ESC866 (46 arcs) rarity “R”. Davies (1982) lists No. 779 (33 trefoils) with an asterisk, meaning “to be confirmed” and No. 780 (46 trefoils) valued at £155 (!) in mint state. Bull (7th edition, 2020) lists only No. 2913 (46 arcs) with rarity “R”. Coin Year Book 2023, meanwhile, lists “34 arcs” at £800 in UNC and the 46 arcs at £1000! I suspect that the 33/34 arcs variety doesn’t exist, but would be grateful for any clarification.

Someone seems to have bought the 1906 florin at £942 (status has changed to "awaiting stock"). Same for this 1904 at a mere £775.

I came across the November 1969 "British Coin Index" while clearing out before moving house. I must have inherited it from my dad, as I was only 6 years old in 1969. Some of the prices are quite interesting. Uncirculated Gothic Crowns seem a bargain at £185 (or £210 if you want the plain-edge proof), while poor old Churchill crowns haven't made much progress on the 37.5 pence quote in 1969. On the florins, my particular area of interest, there are some surprises. The 1932 UNC at £230 (not far off today's price in absolute terms) is more than the 1905 (£200) or 1925 (£220), while uncirculated 1849 Godless florins are only £34.

Agree. I would buy the bottom coin (and not only because I don't like slabs). There seems to be some wear to the hair on the obverse on the slabbed coin. Here's mine, in case it's of any interest.

Two recent additions.

This just arrived. Not the best condition, but exciting for me because I believe it to be Bull 3766, which I have found much more difficult to find than 3765. Plus it wasn't expensive!

MASS, Prof. Jeffrey White 2x2 paper envelope.

The Royal Mint shop is selling a 1906 florin for... 942 pounds. Slabbed by CGS as "EF78", it looks more like a good VF from the photos (too much wear on Britannia and in the sea for it to be EF in my opinion). Even in EF, they sell for about one-third of that price. Maybe they looked at the wrong line in the catalogue and priced it as a 1905!

This just arrived. It's an upgrade, which means I have a spare 1911 Proof looking for a good home. Not the same grade as this, but if anyone is interested, just drop me a PM.