barmaid's ruin
The Barmaid’s Ruin. How a coin led to the fall of barmaids… Posted on 11th June 2022 by Alex Hanrahan In 1887 for her Golden Jubilee, Queen Victoria authorised a new portrait for circulating coinage, as well as a new denomination. This saw the introduction of the Double Florin, which later led to the loss of Barmaid’s jobs and only circulated for 3 years. Featuring a brand-new portrait of the Queen that became colloquially known as the ‘Jubilee Head’ portrait, the Double Florin was the equivalent of 1/5 th of a pound or 48 pennies. However, this coin wasn’t terribly well received and was withdrawn from circulation completely by 1890. The Double Florin was one of the shortest-lived British coin denominations But why? The Double Florin was only produced for four Mint years, partly because the public thought that the crown was balanced precariously on her head and didn’t reflect the Queen with the grace that she deserved. Because of th...