Description
Victoria of the House of Hanover, Queen of the United Kingdom 1837-1901 AD, Silver Crown (28.28g, 38.5mm), 1893. Obverse: Older, crowned and veiled bust of Queen Victoria facing to the left, wearing pearl earring and 13 pearl necklace, designer’s initials “T.B.” (Thomas Brook) below bust, legend surrounds, “VICTORIA· DEI GRA· BRITT· REG·”. Reverse: Saint George, wielding sword and wearing plumed helmet and billowing cloak, mounted atop his horse which rears right above a fallen dragon, his broken lance remains half embedded and the shaft rests to the left on the exergual ground-line, Engraver’s initials ‘B.P’ (Benedetto Pistrucci) and date in exergue. Edge: Inscription in raised letters, “DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LVI”. Spink-3937; Bull-2593. Notably reflective surfaces on the reverse frames a masterful rendition of Benedetto’s Saint George and the Dragon, very minor contact marks either side, easily overlooked, the obverse toned with some underlying brilliance, near Extremely Fine, reverse Extremely Fine.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Victōria, Deī Grātiā, Britanniārum Rēgīna, Fideī Dēfēnstrīx, Indiae Imperātrīx”, with an English translation of “Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the British people, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India”. The edge Latin legend is stated in full and reads “Decus et tūtāmen, annō regni quīnquāgēsimō sextō”, with an English translation of “An ornament and safeguard, fifty sixth regnal year”.