Queen Victoria Old Head silver crown dated 1893, the first year of the veiled portrait, a British five shilling coin in 0.925 sterling silver.
The Old Head, also called the veiled or widow head, was introduced in 1893 to replace the Jubilee coinage of 1887, whose small crown perched on the Queen's head had drawn steady criticism. Thomas Brock modelled the new portrait, showing Victoria veiled and crowned as she appeared in her later years.
The type ran from 1893 to 1900 and 1893 is its opening date. The reverse is Benedetto Pistrucci's St George and the dragon, cut for the coinage reform of 1816 and still in use on the sovereign today.
The edge is lettered DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LVI, the fifty sixth year of the reign. The 1893 crown was struck with two edge years, LVI and LVII, and this is the LVI. The lettering is shown in the edge images.
Specifications -
Year: 1893
Country: United Kingdom
Denomination: Crown, five shillings
Mint: The Royal Mint
Edge: DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LVI
Composition: 0.925 sterling silver
Actual silver weight: 0.8409 oz
Weight: 28.28 g
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Condition :
Circulated and offered as found, with the wear, contact marks and toning the coin has picked up in normal use. The close up images are at full resolution so the surfaces can be judged directly.
Queen Victoria Old Head silver crown dated 1893, the first year of the veiled portrait, a British five shilling coin in 0.925 sterling silver.
The Old Head, also called the veiled or widow head, was introduced in 1893 to replace the Jubilee coinage of 1887, whose small crown perched on the Queen's head had drawn steady criticism. Thomas Brock modelled the new portrait, showing Victoria veiled and crowned as she appeared in her later years.
The type ran from 1893 to 1900 and 1893 is its opening date. The reverse is Benedetto Pistrucci's St George and the dragon, cut for the coinage reform of 1816 and still in use on the sovereign today.
The edge is lettered DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LVI, the fifty sixth year of the reign. The 1893 crown was struck with two edge years, LVI and LVII, and this is the LVI. The lettering is shown in the edge images.
Specifications -
Year: 1893
Country: United Kingdom
Denomination: Crown, five shillings
Mint: The Royal Mint
Edge: DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LVI
Composition: 0.925 sterling silver
Actual silver weight: 0.8409 oz
Weight: 28.28 g
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Condition :
Circulated and offered as found, with the wear, contact marks and toning the coin has picked up in normal use. The close up images are at full resolution so the surfaces can be judged directly.
