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Auction: 23006 - The Official COINEX Auction at Spink
Lot: 332

Victoria (1837-1901), 'Young Head' Crown, 1847 IX, cinquefoil stops, young head left, rev. crowned shield in wreath, incuse downwards lettered edge, 28.21g, 6h (ESC 286; Bull 2567; Spink 3882), a vibrant flashy tone in hues of blue and ochre, lustrous, a most pleasing extremely fine

Provenance

Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, Sporting and Collectors' Sale, 21 March 2023, lot 761


In 1838, the second year of Queen Victoria's long reign, she gave an address about the new coinage at Court in Buckingham Palace. In this speech, the young monarch declared that "we have also thought fit to order, the certain pieces of silver money [that] should be coined [and] called Crowns." The 'Young Head' Victoria Crown was only issued in 1844, 1845 and 1847 - the first and last of these issues are present here. This was the first of four major portrait variants, followed by the 'Jubilee head' in 1887 by William Wyon, and the 'Old/Veiled Head' in 1893, engraved by Thomas Brock, and punctuated by the much lauded 'Gothic' bust struck as a collector's piece in 1846, 1847 and 1853.



Instead of the previous George and the Dragon design for the reverse of the coin, Jean Baptiste Merlen (student of Pistrucci) depicted a crowned quadrant shield, with the coat of arms for England, Scotland and Ireland shown. Below it lies a subtle but evocative motif of an entwined rose, thistle, and shamrock - all working to promote the idea of Victoria as a true Queen of all Britons. The obverse portrays a youthful eighteen-year-old Victoria, her wavy hair tied up in a ponytail adorned with Hellenic patterned ribbons, the only young head to include Wyon's full name with Royal Academy initials after.


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Sold for
£2,200

Starting price
£2200