Baldwin & Sons
Auction 73 8 May 2012
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THE BENTLEY COLLECTION OF BRITISH MILLED GOLD SOVEREIGNS. Victoria, Sovereign, 1891, short tail reverse, Jubilee veiled bust left, top cross on crown in field within border, J.E.B. on edge of truncation into field with stops, angled J, second repositioned legend closer to crown, rev St George slaying dragon with sword, hemline of cloak complete, with extra mane hair over rein hand, horse with short tail, three strand end to tail, two spurs of extra hair on curve of tail, date in exergue, tiny B.P to upper right, final stop absent, 7.98g (Marsh 129; MCE 551; S 3866B). Heavy surface marks and nicks, good fine, reverse stronger, extremely rare.
Calendar year mintage 6,329,476
This extremely rare variety of the short tail for 1891 was only discovered in 2004, it remains very elusive till this day. The tail lengths of these Jubilee head issues are all quite similar. It is the arrangement of the strands of tail hair and whether there is a spur or two of hair that really differs.
The Jubilee Style Bust Coinage For the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
Much like today with our current Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, preparations for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee of 1887 were underway years in advance. The Queen herself had first signified that she was willing for a change in portrait on the coinage as she had been most impressed by a portrait medal of her effigy by Mr Joseph Edgar Boehm RA (6 July 1834 - 12 December 1890) modelled from life. A large plaster model was prepared by Boehm in his studio, and from this metal copies were taken and then reduced for coinage. The first proposed coinage patterns appear from 1880 in base metals and silver, the Queen having sat for her portrait with Boehm in February of that year. The resulting currency coinage produced for 1887 included a commemorative gold Five Pound and Two Pound coin issued together for the first time since 1826. There were sets available in various guises officially for sale as proof or currency quality, with cases costing extra. The Jubilee coinage also marks for the first time in the British currency coinage the die axis being upright (en médaille). All die axes previously on coinage were of the inverted orientation and upright axis was reserved for medals or patterns. The obverse legend appears slightly more abbreviated than the last young head issue too. Apart from this, and the obvious bust change, the coinage is very similar to the previous young head St George type with a milled edge.
The story of the gestation of the coinage was revealed in a series of Royal Mint correspondence, the elements of which have been published in the British Numismatic Journal by G P Dyer and Mark Stocker in 1984. What can be seen is that the resulting currency coins were received with mixed reaction from the public, much to the consternation of C W Fremantle, the Deputy Master of the Mint who had fully supported the design. The populous accepted the change in celebration of the Jubilee, but more seriously criticism of the design was given by critics at the Royal Academy for the way the crown appeared upon the Queen’s head, and the coinage was much discussed in Parliament. Comments ranged from such as “this toy crown” and “too small to be realistic,” as had the Queen turned or moved the crown would have tumbled from her head.
More seriously, the Sixpence and Half-Sovereign coins being of similar dimensions and unfortunately of similar design, meant the Sixpences were quickly gilt by the unscrupulous and passed as gold coins. The Numismatic Society again were vocal about this, saying that the Mint had a precedent in 1821 when the Half Sovereign design had to be changed after one year as it was too similar to the sixpence. In 1887 the Sixpence became the withdrawn coin and the reverse design regressed to what it was before. The Numismatic Society and its President Sir John Evans, amongst others, continued to criticise the designs and the Jubilee portrait only lasted on British coins from 1887-1892 inclusive. Even the Queen herself had remarked on her displeasure of this coinage during 1888. In Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, the portrait continued briefly into 1893 on the gold coins. Boehm having died in 1890 was no longer around to see the change so soon after the Jubilee, and the criticism received may well have contributed to his demise, though he was kept very busy with his sculpture work.
For further reading see British Numismatic Journal 1984, p.274-288 “Edgar Boehm and the Jubilee Coinage” by G P Dyer and Mark Stocker.
The Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
House of Hanover
Born: 24 May 1819
Accession: 20 June 1837
Married: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 10 February 1840
Coronation: Thursday 28 June 1838
Children: four sons, five daughters
Died: 22 January 1901, aged 81
Estimate: £400-500
Calendar year mintage 6,329,476
This extremely rare variety of the short tail for 1891 was only discovered in 2004, it remains very elusive till this day. The tail lengths of these Jubilee head issues are all quite similar. It is the arrangement of the strands of tail hair and whether there is a spur or two of hair that really differs.
The Jubilee Style Bust Coinage For the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria
Much like today with our current Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, preparations for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee of 1887 were underway years in advance. The Queen herself had first signified that she was willing for a change in portrait on the coinage as she had been most impressed by a portrait medal of her effigy by Mr Joseph Edgar Boehm RA (6 July 1834 - 12 December 1890) modelled from life. A large plaster model was prepared by Boehm in his studio, and from this metal copies were taken and then reduced for coinage. The first proposed coinage patterns appear from 1880 in base metals and silver, the Queen having sat for her portrait with Boehm in February of that year. The resulting currency coinage produced for 1887 included a commemorative gold Five Pound and Two Pound coin issued together for the first time since 1826. There were sets available in various guises officially for sale as proof or currency quality, with cases costing extra. The Jubilee coinage also marks for the first time in the British currency coinage the die axis being upright (en médaille). All die axes previously on coinage were of the inverted orientation and upright axis was reserved for medals or patterns. The obverse legend appears slightly more abbreviated than the last young head issue too. Apart from this, and the obvious bust change, the coinage is very similar to the previous young head St George type with a milled edge.
The story of the gestation of the coinage was revealed in a series of Royal Mint correspondence, the elements of which have been published in the British Numismatic Journal by G P Dyer and Mark Stocker in 1984. What can be seen is that the resulting currency coins were received with mixed reaction from the public, much to the consternation of C W Fremantle, the Deputy Master of the Mint who had fully supported the design. The populous accepted the change in celebration of the Jubilee, but more seriously criticism of the design was given by critics at the Royal Academy for the way the crown appeared upon the Queen’s head, and the coinage was much discussed in Parliament. Comments ranged from such as “this toy crown” and “too small to be realistic,” as had the Queen turned or moved the crown would have tumbled from her head.
More seriously, the Sixpence and Half-Sovereign coins being of similar dimensions and unfortunately of similar design, meant the Sixpences were quickly gilt by the unscrupulous and passed as gold coins. The Numismatic Society again were vocal about this, saying that the Mint had a precedent in 1821 when the Half Sovereign design had to be changed after one year as it was too similar to the sixpence. In 1887 the Sixpence became the withdrawn coin and the reverse design regressed to what it was before. The Numismatic Society and its President Sir John Evans, amongst others, continued to criticise the designs and the Jubilee portrait only lasted on British coins from 1887-1892 inclusive. Even the Queen herself had remarked on her displeasure of this coinage during 1888. In Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, the portrait continued briefly into 1893 on the gold coins. Boehm having died in 1890 was no longer around to see the change so soon after the Jubilee, and the criticism received may well have contributed to his demise, though he was kept very busy with his sculpture work.
For further reading see British Numismatic Journal 1984, p.274-288 “Edgar Boehm and the Jubilee Coinage” by G P Dyer and Mark Stocker.
The Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901)
House of Hanover
Born: 24 May 1819
Accession: 20 June 1837
Married: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 10 February 1840
Coronation: Thursday 28 June 1838
Children: four sons, five daughters
Died: 22 January 1901, aged 81
Estimate: £400-500