Coins of Queen Victoria’s reign are highly in-demand amongst collectors of British Coins. Queen Victoria’s reign began in 1837, after her uncle William IV died. Her reign saw the Golden Age of the British Empire, as well as numerous technological innovations brought by the industrial revolution.
Queen Victoria was born on May 24, 1819, at Kensington Palace, London. She became queen at 18 in 1837 and ruled for 63 years. Her reign was the second-longest in British History, giving coin collectors many dates and denominations from which to choose from. Some coin types were short-lived such as the Double-Florin, and some dates are rather peculiar such as the one seen on the Godless Florin.
Victoria married Prince Albert on the 10, February of 1840 and the two had 9 children together. Prince Alfred passed away in 1861 which left the Queen devastated. With his loss she entered a deep state of mourning wearing black and a veil for the rest of her life.
British coinage would later reflect the Queen's state of mourning. With both the Jubilee Head and Old Head portraits featuring the Queen wearing a veil.
Victorian coins went through 3 different periods, the Young Head Coinage, The Jubilee Coinage and the Old Head coinage. Her reign saw the introduction of the Florin (1/10th of a pound or 0.1 pounds) and the Double Florin. Although they would discontinue the Double Florin after only two years.
Victorian Coins for Sale
If you wish to buy Victorian coins, we have available below coins from all three periods of her coinage. Including some Queen Victoria rare coins.
In 1887 Queen Victoria celebrated her Golden Jubilee 1837-1887, so for the first time in 50 years she allowed the design of the coinage to be changed. The Sixpence had a shield on the reverse, which didn’t work at all. Crooks were gold plating them and passing them off as Half Sovereigns. So later in the year they changed the reverse and added a value within the wreath. We have a nice group of choice examples of both types of Jubilee Sixpences with the wreath reverse and the shield reverse. The coins are in Choice Uncirculated condition and are getting more and more difficult to find.
In 1887 Queen Victoria allowed the Royal Mint to change her portrait on the coinage. After all, it was her Jubilee Year and they had used her Young Head portrait since 1838. The new coins came into being, along with a new denomination, the Double Florin in 1887. We have a nice little lot of the silver Shield Sixpence coins in rather choice condition. They would look great in your collection.
Queen Victoria came to the throne in 1837 and in 1838 they issued her first coinage. Because she was so young when she became Queen, this new coinage became known as Young Head Coins. In 1887 when she celebrated her Gold Jubilee, she finally allowed her portrait to be changed on the coins, this new portrait became known as the Jubilee Head Coinage. It only lasted from 1887 until 1892 when it was again changed. We have spent years accumulating enough 1887 Jubilee Head coins in high grades to offer them to you. All are struck in Sterling Silver and all are dated 1887 the first year of this new coinage. For years collectors have assumed that these coins are common. But in fact, in the higher grades these coins have become very difficult to find. Prices while they have risen are still very affordable, especially when you think that they are 131 years old. On offer here is a Victoria 1887 sixpence featuring wreath in gem uncirculated grade.
In our opinion, the Old Head or Widow Head but of Queen Victoria is the most underappreciated of the three different busts made during her reign. Here we offer the Old Head Sixpence in Uncirculated conditon. Dates will be of our choice.
In 1893 a new portrait of Queen Victoria was used on the coins. Officially it was the Widow Head Type, unofficially it was known as the Old Head coinage. We think that after over 60 years on the Throne, Old Head is much more of an appropriate term to use. For some reason, one that we just don’t know, the sixpence is the most difficult coin to obtain. Maybe because it was one of the smallest values and actually was used in day-to-day transactions, maybe something else. All we know is the Queen Victoria Old Head Sixpence is not an easy coin to find. The coins on offer are struck in Sterling Silver and are in Very Good condition. They will date from 1893-to 1901. The more you order, the more different dates we will try to give you but remember these coins are not easy to find.
In our opinion, the Old Head or Widow Head but of Queen Victoria is the most underappreciated of the three different busts made during her reign. Here we offer the Old Head Sixpence in VG. Dates will be of our choice.
In the whole Young Head series of Queen Victorian coins, the one that we have the most difficulty in getting is the Sixpence. It was struck for years and years (1838-1887), but for some reason, this is one type coin that always seems to be missing. We have a small group of these Sterling Silver Sixpences, dates will be of our choice, but the more coins you order, the more different dates we will try and give you. They are available in Very Good.
£18.95
1838 Victoria Young Head Coinage
The Young Head portrait is the first depiction of Queen Victoria on coins. It was created by the Royal Mint's chief engraver at the time, William Wyon. They introduced it in 1838 and used the portrait until 1895 on bronze coins.
1887 Victoria Jubilee Coinage
In 1887, they changed the design of the silver and gold coins for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. But they only placed the design on the Maundy coinage in 1881. The Jubilee head coinage featured a depiction of Queen Victoria by Joseph Edgar Boehm. In this design the Queen is wearing her small diamond crown, a design choice that was very controversial at the time.
Many numismatists have expressed their dislike for this choice. Including our founder, Richard Lobel, who said that "the small crown placed on the back of the queen's head made her look a bit foolish" in our in our Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins
An important coinage change that occurred during this period was the introduction of the Double Florin.
1893 Victoria Old Head Coinage
The Old Head coinage or Veiled Head coinage featured Queen Victoria wearing a diadem partially hidden by a widow’s veil. The coins of this type were struck between 1893 and 1901, and the portrait on the obverse was designed by Thomas Brock.
New Denominations Introduced in Victorian Coinage
Florin - Gothic & Godless
They made the first Florin in 1849 which was exactly 1/10th of a pound or 0.1 pounds. That denomination still exists today: we call it a 10 Pence Piece. But there were some problems...
They forgot to place ‘Dei Gratia’ – by the grace of God on the coin. So they quickly had to withdraw the coin and issued the Gothic Florin until two years later in 1851. Collectors also know the 1849 Florin as the 'Godless' Florin for that reason. It is only a one-year type coin and very important as our first decimal coin in over a thousand years.
In 1851, they changed the design of the Florin to the Gothic portrait. This new design featured a crowned portrait of the Queen facing left on the obverse, and four crowned coats of arms on the reverse.
What's strange about this coin is its date. At the time a large part of the population was illiterate, but yet, instead of using the numbers we know today as Arabic numerals, they used Roman numerals. This meant that a large part of the populace could not even read the date on the coin. As 1872 became (MDCCC) Ixxii.
Double Florin – the Barmaid’s ruin
They first issued the Double Florin in 1887 for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, and they last issued it in 1890. It gained the nickname "Barmaid's ruin" during its short-lived existence.
The nickname happened because barmaids often made mistakes when giving change. They would give change for a 5 shilling coin instead of change for a 4 shilling coin. This helped to get them to stop making this short-lived denomination.
This coin is the equivalent to a 20p piece in Victorian spending money (Four Sterling Silver Shillings).
