Graceless florin
Preserved but no longer current.
The first issue of the English florin (1849), called "Grace- less" because the letters D.G. ("by God's grace") were omitted, and "Godless" because of the omission of F.D. ("Defender of the Faith").
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Graceless florin” mean?
The first issue of the English florin (1849), called "Grace- less" because the letters D.G. ("by God's grace") were omitted, and "Godless" because of the omission of F.D. ("Defender of the Faith").
Is “Graceless florin” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.