American-made Fijian silver: the 1943-S florin — struck at San Francisco in .900 fine silver to U.S. standard while the Pacific war strained metal supplies.
History
- In 1942 and 1943 all Fiji coins were struck at the San Francisco mint (S mintmark), confirmed by the Reserve Bank of Fiji.
- Wartime composition: brass halfpennies and pennies; 90% silver sixpence, shilling, and florin — the U.S. standard, finer than Britain’s .500.
- Heavy U.S. troop presence in Fiji drove demand for circulating coin during the Pacific campaign.
Key dates & varieties
- 1942-S and 1943-S across all five denominations; the S mintmark is on every coin.
Specifications
- Florin: .900 silver (versus .500 pre-war) — the wartime premium is in the metal.
Collector notes
- The S mintmark is the tell — no S, no wartime premium.
- Compare against pre-war .500 florins (1934–36) and post-war cupro-nickel (1953+) before paying up.