The switch to copper-nickel in 1947 was a direct consequence of postwar silver shortages and British treasury pressure to conserve the metal across all colonial dependencies simultaneously. Southern Rhodesia had used .925 silver for its florin-sized coins since the series launched in 1932; the 1947 issue marked a clean break. Copper-nickel blanks were sourced through the Royal Mint's supply chain, not struck locally.
KM#19b collectors should note that the 1947 date is the first year of the new composition, making it the transitional entry point for the type.
The switch to copper-nickel in 1947 was a direct consequence of postwar silver shortages and British treasury pressure to conserve the metal across all colonial dependencies simultaneously. Southern Rhodesia had used .925 silver for its florin-sized coins since the series launched in 1932; the 1947 issue marked a clean break. Copper-nickel blanks were sourced through the Royal Mint's supply chain, not struck locally.
KM#19b collectors should note that the 1947 date is the first year of the new composition, making it the transitional entry point for the type.