This year is a memorable anniversary for one of the greatest monarchs in British history, 180 years since the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838. By the time Queen Victoria’s sovereignty ended, after a then-record 63 years on the throne, not only did Victoria reign over the largest empire the world had ever known, which included a quarter of the world’s population, but her coinage had also become one of the most unique in British history. Queen Victoria was the first to issue £5 gold coins for general circulation, the first to issue a gold Sovereign to feature both George and the Dragon and Shield reverses, and she issued new coins such as the famous ‘Godless’ Silver Florins and the ‘Barmaids Grief’, the Double Florin.

 

The standout moment, however, occurred in 1887 when to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, a new portrait was designed to grace Victoria’s coinage. The new effigy of the Queen, the Jubilee head portrait, was produced by the skilled engraver Joseph Edgar Boehm.

At the forefront of this portrait change was the trusted Sovereign, the coin that built the Empire, and as a loyal customer of The Royal Mint, you can now add the original 1887 Double Gold Sovereign in Very Fine condition to your collection.