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Five Pound Piece: Victoria (obverse); St. George and the Dragon (reverse)

Joseph Edgar Boehm1887

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

The obverse design of this piece is usually known as the "Jubilee head," since 1887, the year of its production, was the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. By Sir Joseph Boehm, R.A., sculptor in ordinary to the queen, it caused a minor storm since it was said the tiny crown made the queen look ridiculous. The queen is said not to have liked the design herself, but she did in fact wear a small crown of this type when she began to find the full-size crown too heavy. The crown may be seen among the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.

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Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: Five Pound Piece: Victoria (obverse); St. George and the Dragon (reverse)
  • Creator: Benedetto Pistrucci (Italian, 1784-1855), Joseph Boehm (British, 1834-1890)
  • Date Created: 1887
  • Physical Dimensions: Diameter: 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.)
  • Provenance: Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Coins
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1969.219
  • Medium: gold
  • Inscriptions: VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D:, 1887
  • Fun Fact: This piece was not made for circulation but was part of a proof set.
  • Department: Medieval Art
  • Culture: England, Victoria, 1837-1901
  • Credit Line: The Norweb Collection
  • Collection: MED - Numismatics
  • Accession Number: 1969.219
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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