Australia 1934–35 Melbourne Centenary (Centennial) Florin – King George V

Issued to commemorate the centenary of Victoria (1834) and Melbourne (1835), this sterling silver florin is one of Australia’s earliest and most sought-after commemorative coins. Featuring the crowned bust of King George V on the obverse by Percy Metcalfe, and George Kruger Gray’s iconic reverse of a torch-bearing rider on horseback, it remains a cornerstone piece for pre-decimal collectors.

• Denomination: 1 Florin (Two Shillings)
• Year: 1934–1935
• Composition: 92.5% Silver, 7.5% Copper
• Weight: 11.31 g
• Diameter: 28.5 mm
• Obverse: Crowned bust of King George V facing left (Percy Metcalfe)
• Reverse: Torch-bearing rider on horseback with legend “CENTENARY VICTORIA MELBOURNE 1934–35 FLORIN” (George Kruger Gray)
• Mint: Melbourne
• Mintage: 75,000 (with only 53,405 distributed)

Condition notes and eye appeal:

Offered in strong Extremely Fine condition, with only light friction visible on the high points in the centre of the crown, as well as the rider's left hand. The coin appears to have been wiped or lightly cleaned by a previous owner, resulting in some minor, detracting hairlines and marks in the fields on both obverse and reverse. Despite this, the design remains sharp, with well-defined high points and traces of original lustre particularly evident around the legends. Overall, an attractive and presentable example of this scarce commemorative issue.