How Much Is a Florin Worth Today?
A florin was worth two shillings — 10p in today's money.
It holds a special place in history as Britain's first deliberate step towards decimal currency, and its silver versions are collectable.
At a glance
- Old value
- Two shillings (2s)
- Today's face value
- 10p
- Claim to fame
- Britain's first decimal coin (1849)
- Made of
- Silver (pre-1947), then cupronickel
🪙 Old money converter · ONS price data
2s converts to exactly 10p in decimal currency — that part never changes. But prices have risen about 48× since 1950, so it had the spending power of roughly £4.81 today. That gap is why 10p feels so wrong to anyone who remembers using it.
Every pre-decimal coin, in 1950 money
| Coin | Old value | Decimal | Worth today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farthing | ¼d | 0.1p | 5.01p |
| Halfpenny | ½d | 0.21p | 10p |
| Penny | 1d | 0.42p | 20p |
| Threepence | 3d | 1.25p | 60p |
| Sixpence | 6d | 2.5p | £1.20 |
| Shilling | 1s | 5p | £2.41 |
| Florin | 2s | 10p | £4.81 |
| Half crown | 2s 6d | 13p | £6.02 |
| Crown | 5s | 25p | £12.03 |
| Ten bob note | 10s | 50p | £24.07 |
| Pound | £1 | £1.00 | £48.14 |
| Guinea | 21s | £1.05 | £50.55 |
Purchasing power from the Office for National Statistics, Retail Prices Index: Long run series: 1800 onwards (series CDKO), annual averages, 1800–2025. Face values are fixed by the 1971 decimalisation arithmetic (12d = 1s, 20s = £1). A price index tracks a typical basket of goods, so it is a guide to general spending power rather than the price of any one thing. Collectable coins can be worth far more than either figure.
How much is a florin worth today?
A florin converts to 10p — it was worth two shillings, exactly a tenth of a pound. That clean tenth is why old florins carried on circulating as 10p coins for two decades after decimalisation.
Face value is only half the answer, though. What a florin bought depended entirely on when you spent it — prices have risen many times over since these coins were in daily use. Set the year in the converter above to see the spending power behind the coin, using the Office for National Statistics long-run price index.
What was a florin?
The florin, worth two shillings (a tenth of a pound), was introduced in 1849 as an experiment in decimalisation — a tenth of a pound, to test public appetite for a decimal system. It was silver until 1946, then cupronickel. After 1971 the florin circulated alongside the identically-sized 10p coin until the 10p was made smaller in 1992.
A florin in today's money
Two shillings converts to 10p. Because a florin was exactly a tenth of a pound, it mapped cleanly onto the new 10p coin — so florins stayed in everyday use for twenty years after decimalisation.
For context, the old system ran on pounds, shillings and pence (£sd): £1 was 20 shillings, and each shilling was 12 pence. See how much a shilling is worth today for the coin at the heart of it.
Are old florins worth anything to collectors?
Pre-1947 florins are silver and worth at least their bullion value. The 1849 'Godless' florin (which left 'Dei Gratia' off the design) and other early or scarce dates are collectable; ordinary cupronickel florins are usually worth little above face value.
If old coins interest you, our guide to what makes coins valuable is a good next read.
Frequently asked questions
Is a florin the same as a 10p?
In value, yes — a florin was two shillings, which became 10p. Old florins even circulated as 10p coins until the 10p was reduced in size in 1992.
Why was the florin introduced?
It was a Victorian experiment in decimal currency — one tenth of a pound — more than a century before Britain fully decimalised in 1971.
Other old coins: Shilling · Crown · Half crown · Guinea · Sixpence · Threepence · Farthing
Coin values are a general guide only. Collector values vary widely by date, condition and metal — for a valuable coin, get it assessed by a reputable dealer or auction house.
