Weekend Challenge No 2 (9-10 november 2013) - 1954 Royal Visit Florin Wiki

[markn]

Here's a challenge for this weekend. Let's write some information about the 1954 Royal Visit florin. A paragraph or three about the coin, why it was made, who designed it, what the design represents, whatever you can dig up. Here's your blank canvas:

1954 Royal Visit Florin wiki

Post all submissions here. PPH or I (or some helpful volunteer) will gel the responses into a wiki and post it.

[Goldseeker]

As far as I know that this particular coin was to celebrate the first Royal Visit of the new young Queen to Australia.

Sorry I can't add any more.

[JeffH]

I don't feel qualified to contribute to this particular wiki but do have something in mind (when I get the coins sorted for photos).

I do remember standing by the road, waving my flag as the lady went past in an open topped car. I was 4½ at the time and this is one of my earliest memories.

[robbiegal]

that is a wonderful memory!!!
Old Prince Phillip gave a cheeky wink at my beautiful tall extremely blonde sister when they came out to our town in the April 1970. never noticed the scrawny 'lil sister!! ha ha
The Queen looked absolutely regal and beautiful
Hot and bothered waiting in the crowd but well worth it at the time
I didn't go out of my way when she came here more recently though ... royalty fatigue in my old age!! ha ha

maybe that I why I like the 1970 fifty cent piece so much

[Goldseeker]

All I know is that when the Royal Yacht left Portsmouth Harbour, me, as a youngster was on the waters edge at Eastney Fort and we got soaked as the yacht went past because of the wash.

It was a thrill to be there for the start of her visit.

Ah, memories.........

[purplepennyhunter]

Moving back to the idea of the wiki entry. A few things to ponder just off the top of my head.

Who designed the reverse?
Why kangaroo and lion? significance?
Bare fields
Hoarded?
Mintage?
Release?
Varieties noted?
HM's first visit as Queen?

[emu666]

Moving back to the idea of the wiki entry. A few things to ponder just off the top of my head.

Who designed the reverse?
Why kangaroo and lion? significance?
Bare fields
Hoarded?
Mintage?
Release?
Varieties noted?
HM's first visit as Queen?

I am sorry that my response was misinterpreted

[interest]

Moving back to the idea of the wiki entry. A few things to ponder just off the top of my head.

Who designed the reverse?
Why kangaroo and lion? significance?
Bare fields
Hoarded?
Mintage?
Release?
Varieties noted?
HM's first visit as Queen?

The reverse was designed by William Leslie Bowles & is to represent Britain & Australia  respectively.
The design would not work if the Kangaroo was in the foreground.
The Lion first appeared on an English standard in the 1100's, under Henry the 1st who was known as the "Lion of England".
It was used to inspire men to battle.
Later in that century Richard the Lion Heart used three golden lions on a red background. That design has only ever been changed once, & that was to add a Crown on top of the three lions.
That same design is still used today but mainly as a sporting motif.
The Kangaroo is of course obvious.

I do remember standing by the road, waving my flag as the lady went past in an open topped car. I was 4½ at the time and this is one of my earliest memories.

I was 6 in 1954 our class was put on a train & a bus to get us all to the Showground in Sydney, where we were lined up in the middle of the showground, on a hot day there was none of this hydration crap or wearing of hats, we stood there in the blazing sun for three hours, kids were fainting & getting dragged off the field, but there we stood in straight lines waiting to see our Queen.
Then the Queen arrived, drove around the track once waved & drove off, to some function out of the sun & for drinks.
We were then put on a bus & a train back to school roll call & sent home.
In 1972 when they came to open the Opera House I was in a loud rock band with long hair & a beard (looked homeless) they came out to Cronulla where we were living. We lined up along the road & when they came I jumped at the car Phil the Greek's side & screamed AARGGHH Phil looked at me & his arms jumped up in fright. Got ya back, revenge is sweet. LOL

[markn]

is this wiki intended for

It's intended for everyone.  It's public.  If you have some advanced information you can put that in there.  If you have some basic information you can put that in there.  If you have nothing to contribute or don't want to contribute then you don't need to do or ask anything.

[robbiegal]

ha ha Interest
Love the coin write up and the QEII stories!

With respect to the Lion and the Kangaroo on this coin, my understanding is that the Lion and the Kangaroo are represented in partnership and the imagery symbolises the collaboration and unity  between the two countries.

The emu was left out and I don't know why. By then the kangaroo seems to have started to represent Australia. It may have also been influenced by the penny and halfpenny changes in design post 1938.
Drakesterling has a great write up about his coin as well.

[purplepennyhunter]

I have said this before. The wiki is intended to be a source of the accurate information sourced by us the collectors in the nitty gritty of the noodling and discussions and everything collaborated and posted in a concise few paragraphs -the crux of the discussions really.

Trolling through the 2008 double tail thread there were pics of coins from other years and off-topic discussion and overall difficult to follow later on. If you find one, get excited about it and want to read more you can get a bit lost searching through pages of banter. Not that there is anything wrong with that. You can go to the wiki, find the page and you have it all right there.

Say for example right now if I want to know what 2013 coins have been found in circulation. We could have a wiki entry for that and list them and when we have a confirmed find we can edit the post. Otherwise I could troll through pages and pages and pages of posts and try to make a list and it would take me half the day. Or someone who is keen might already have a list based on what people have posted here (ie they have an interest) and can round up that info for a wiki!

[robbiegal]

thanks PP
Question:
if I go the wikkie - ether here or if I log out and then come in through the public access
I can't get back to the forum
I have to open up a new page to get back here
are others having the same problem?

[Nevol]

If I'm going to Coin Wiki, I do it via a middle click on the link in our toolbar.  
I never log out of the forum and never close my PC down, just put it to sleep.

[robbiegal]

I do that Nevol
but then I lose the forum
I have to close the wikie and then open up the forum again
I sort of get into some sort of wikie limbo land

ok
- got back here by clicking the back arrow  
there isn't any other way that I can figure out to get back here via the pages anyways

[purplepennyhunter]

Mark says he can make that Wiki link open in a new tab. He just needs to change it. I'll poke him to do it later.