Description
Victoria of the House of Hanover, Queen of the United Kingdom 1837-1901 AD, Silver Shilling (5.65g, 23mm), 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· REGINA· FID· DEF· IND· IMP·”. Reverse: Divided Shield of Arms of the United Kingdom in the form of a trefoil, the first for England, second for Scotland, third for Ireland, national floral emblems of English rose, Scottish thistle and Irish shamrock between, all within buckled garter which bears the chivalrous motto “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE” and inner beaded border, date below, denomination surrounds above. Spink-3940; Bull-3154. Masterfully toned with a deep cabinet grey and with underlying brilliance on the reverse, a lovely piece, good 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 reverse Latin on the shield garter is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter and is stated in full in Middle French / Anglo-Norman as “honi soit qui mal y pense”, with an English meaning of “shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”.
