Florin

The florin is a historical term applied to several coins and monetary units in Europe and beyond. It originated with the Fiorino d’oro, a gold coin minted in Florence from the mid-13th century, and the name spread to other states. Over time, florin became a generic label for coins or units of account that traced their value to that Florentine standard.

One of the best-known continuations is its use for the Dutch guilder. In the Netherlands, the florin became the everyday name for the gulden, the national unit until the introduction of the euro in 2002; in English-language texts, the guilder is commonly referred to as the florin. In the United Kingdom, the florin was a coin worth two shillings, circulating from the 19th century until decimalization in 1971. Across Europe and in the colonies, other states minted their own florins or used the term informally for local coins, reflecting the Florentine coin’s influence on medieval and early modern monetary practice.

Etymology-wise, the word florin derives from Italian fiorino, itself from fiore meaning “flower,” as the Florentine coin was originally a flowered design on a gold coin. Today the florin survives mainly as a historical or numismatic term rather than a current currency unit in active circulation, with the Netherlands and other places having moved to modern currencies and the euro or other systems.