Florin was the name of a gold coin first struck in Florence in the 11th century. It was the size of a ducat, and had on one side a lily, and on the other the head of John the Baptist. The silver florin, with the same designs as the gold florin, was first struck in 1181. These coins were soon imitated all over Europe. It was out of them that the German gold and silver gulden of the middle ages and the silver gulden of modern times arose. These last are still marked with the letters fl. The gulden or florin is the unit of account in Austria, and has a value of about 2s. Till 1876 a florin or gulden of 1s. 8d. was the unit in the South German
States. The Dutch florin or guilder is also worth 1s. 8d. The English 2s. piece is called a florin; the 4s. pieces first coined in 1887 are double florins.