Forms: 4–9 floren(e, 4–7 florein, -eyne, 5 (floran), floryne, (floring), 4, 8– florin. [a. Fr. florin = Pr., Sp. florin, It. fiorino, f. fiore:—L. flōr-em, flōs flower, the coin originally so called having the figure of a lily stamped upon it.
Some of the early forms can hardly be distinguished from those of the synonymous FLORENCE; there is no direct etymological connection between the two words, though the ‘flower’ from which the Florentine coin took its name may have been used with allusion to the name of the city.]
1. The English name of a gold coin weighing about 54 grs., first issued at Florence in 1252.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 6201.
| And þere þey fonde þe cofre ful | |
| Sperde wyþ þe dueylys mul, | |
| Of florens, and of goldrynges, | |
| And of many ouþer þynges. |
a. 1400. Octouian, 393.
| With that ther com a palmer old | |
| In a sklaueyne, | |
| And bad for that chyld so bold | |
| Well many floreyne. |
c. 1470. Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, IX. 252.
| ‘Forsuth,’ he said, ‘this blythis me mekill mor, | |
| Than off floryng [v.r. floringis] ye gaiff me sexty scor.’ |
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxviii. 234. They left not in ye abbey the valew of a floren for euery thyng that was good they toke with them.
1655. Fuller, The Church-History of Britain, II. i. § 38. Yet in after-Ages the Arch-Bishop of Canterburie’s Pall was sold for five thousand Florenes: so that the Pope might well have the Golden Fleece, if he could sell all his Lambs-Wooll at that rate.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. I. viii. 313. Edward the black prince (soon after his successes in France) in imitation of the English custom, imposed a tax of a florin upon every hearth, in his French dominions.
1832. trans. Sismondi’s Ital. Rep., iv. 85. The republic of Florence, in the year 1252, coined its golden florin, of 24 carats fine, and of the weight of one drachm.
2. An English gold coin of the value of six shillings or six and eightpence, issued by Edward III. Obs. exc. Hist.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxv. 231. The floreyne that was callid the noble pris of vj shillynges viij pens of sterlinges.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 256. The king made a newe coyne of Golde and named it the Floreyn.
1697. Evelyn, Numismata, i. 4. Our golden Florens in the reign of Edward III. coin’d by certain Florentine Moneyers, who were it seems imploy’d here in England.
1866. Crump, Banking, x. 222. Coinage of England.… Edward III. Gold. Florin, half-florin, quarter-florin.
3. The English name of various coins current at various times on the continent. a. Gold coins.
1611. Cotgr., Florin, a Florin, or Franc: an ancient coine of gold in France, worth ijs. sterl.: not currant at this day.
1811. P. Kelly, Univ. Cambist, I. 177. The gold florins are chiefly current in the countries on the banks of the Rhine, passing generally for 2 Rixdollars current.
b. Silver coins.
1716. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to Mrs. Thistlethwayte, 26 Sept. ’This true, as to money, it is seldom any advantage to the man they marry; the laws of Austria confine a woman’s portion not to exceed two thousand florins.
1727–41. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Florin.… As to silver Florins.… Those of Genoa, &c. were worth about 81/4 d. sterling.
1831. Sir J. Sinclair, Corr., II. 299. He who is obliged to buy it, pays no more than eight or ten florins Polish money, which is four or five shillings in England.
1873. Ouida, Pascarèl, I. ii. 13. Except that they pay Lillo by millions and we only want a few florins.
4. An English silver coin of the value of two shillings, first minted in 1849.
1849. Lond. Jrnl., 12 May, 149. The new two shilling coin is to be called a florin.
