FLORIDOR [JoslNs DE SOULAS, Sicur de Prinefosse] (d. c. 1671)

This article appears in Volume V10, Page 546 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

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FLORIDOR [JoslNs DE SOULAS, Sicur de Prinefosse] (d. c. 1671) , French actor, was born in Brie early in the 17th century, thg son of a

gentleman

GENTLEMAN (from Lat. gentilis, " belonging to a race or gens," and " man "; Fr. gentilhomme, Span. gentil hombre, Ital. gentil huomo, in its
original
- ORIGINAL
and strict signification, a
term
- TERM
denoting a man of good family, the Lat. generosus (its invariable transl

of German family who had moved to France, married there, and become a Roman Catholic. The son entered the French army, but after being promoted

ensign

ENSIGN (through the Fr. enseigne from the Latin plural insignia)

, quitted the army for the theatre, where he took the name of Floridor. His first Paris

appearance

APPEARANCE (from Lat. apparere, to appear)

was in 164o. Three years later he was called to the company at the H8tel de Bourgogne, where he played all the leading parts in tragedy and comedy and became the head of his profession. He was a man of superb physique and excellent carriage, with a flexible and sonorous voice, and manners of rare distinction and elegance, He was much liked at court, and Louis XIV. held him in particular
esteem. He died in 167T or 167 FLORIN, the name applied to several coins of the continent
of Europe and to two coins struck in England at different times. The word comes through the Fr. florin from the Ital. fiorino, flower, Lat. flos, florent. Fiorino was the Italian name of a gold coin issued at Florence in 1252, weighing about fifty-four grains. This coin bore on the obverse a lily, from which it took its name of " the flower," on the

reverse

REVERSE

the Latin name of the city Florentia, from which it was also known as a " flolence." " Florin " and " Florence " seem to have been used in English indiscriminately as the name of this coin. The Florentine florin was held in

great

GREAT

commercial repute throughout Europe, and similar coins were struck in Germany, other parts of Italy, France, &c. The English gold florin was introduced by

Edward

EDWARD

III. in 1343, half and quarter forins being struck at the same time. This gold florin weighed ro8 grains-and was to be current for six shillings. It was found, however, to be overvalued in proportion to the silver currency and was demonetized the following year. The florin did not again appear in the English coinage until 1849, when silver coins with this name, having a nominal value of two shillings (one-tenth of ,a pound), were struck. When first issued the " Dei gratia " was omitted from the inscription, and they were frequently referred, to as the " Godless " or " graceless " florins. The D.G. was added in 1852. In 1887 a

double

florin or four shilling piece was issued, but its coinage was discontinued in 189o. The total value of

double

florins issued during these years amounted to 533,125. (See also

NUMISMATICS

.)

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