Three Victoria Heads 🇬🇧

[Serendipity]

Three Victoria Heads

 

Princess Alexandrina Victoria was born in 1819, crowned as Queen Victoria in 1837 when her uncle, William IV, died and reigned through a period of unprecedented change until her death in 1901. Victoria ruled for 64 years, a record only recently surpassed by Queen Elizabeth II. Over her long reign she posed for many portraits for coins but on the gold sovereigns there are three major variations: Young Head (1838-1887), Jubilee Head (1887-1893) and Old (Veiled) Head (1893-1901).

DESCRIPTION

Victoria (1837-1901), gold sovereign, 1871, London, Tower Hill Mint, third young filleted head left, W.W. raised on truncation for engraver William Wyon, date below, hint of doubling in legend both sides, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA DEI GRATIA (“Victoria, by the Grace of God”), rev. struck with inverted die axis, engraved by Jean Baptiste Merlen, crowned quartered shield of arms, laurel wreath surrounding, die number 14 below, emblems below, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID:DEF: (“Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith”), raised hairline flaw in last A of legend to rim, edge milled, weight 7.97g (Bentley 558; Marsh 55; M.C.E. 531; S.3853B). Tiny obverse rim nick, otherwise pleasing good extremely fine. Ex Douro Cargo, Spink Auction 118, 20-21 November 1996, lot 1377 (part). Calendar year mintage 8,767,250.

Victoria (1837-1901), gold sovereign, 1887, London, Tower Hill Mint, Jubilee crowned veiled head left, pearl earring and 13-pearl necklace, tiny J.E.B. raised on truncation with right angled J for engraver Joseph Edgar Boehm, first abbreviated Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA D:G:BRITT:REG:F:D: (“Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith”), rev. struck en médaille, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet with three-strand streamer, horse with short tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled, weight 7.99g (DISH.L7 C; Marsh 125B; M.C.E. 547; S.3866). Light bag marks both sides, otherwise almost extremely fine. Calendar year mintage 1,111,280.

Victoria (1837-1901), gold sovereign, 1899 S, Sydney Mint, Australia, crowned old veiled head left, tiny T.B. raised on truncation for engraver Thomas Brock, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, VICTORIA·DEI·GRA·BRITT·REGINA·FID·DEF·IND·IMP· (“Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Britons, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India”), rev. struck en médaille, St. George on horseback slaying dragon with sword right, plumed helmet with three-strand streamer, horse with long tail, ending in three strands, with one spur higher up at curve, broken lance on ground-line to left, tiny WWP raised under lance for Master of the Mint, William Wellesley Pole, mint mark S at centre of ground-line, date in exergue, tiny B.P. raised in upper right of exergue for engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, edge milled, weight 7.99g (Marsh 168; M.C.E. 558; S.3877). Lightly toned, some surface marks, otherwise extremely fine. Calendar year mintage 3,259,000.

Queen Victoria by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1842 (left), Heinrich von Angeli, 1890 (centre) and 1899 (right).