The 1933 Florin is a semi-key date in the George V Florin series. The piece was produced with the relatively low mintage of 488,000. Between 1929 and 1932 Australia had been experiencing the Great Depression which resulted in nearly thirty-two percent unemployment during its height in 1932. These economic circumstances greatly reduced spending and therefore the need for circulating currency.
By 1933 the worst of the depression seemed to have passed and although the mintage for this year seems low the substantial increase in mintage 's compared to 1932 when only 188,000 Florins were issued, was a positive sign. The Melbourne 'Argus' stated the new mintage figures were '...a pleasant indication of the return to better times..." and a "...much busier Christmas than has been experienced for several years is expected...". (The Argus, 1933) The low mintage and the general need to spend and not horde the 1933 Florin makes the year quite rare and valuable with very limited mint-state examples.