Commemorative medal for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
George William de Saulles (1862 - 1903)
Category
Coins and medals
Date
1897
Materials
Gold
Measurements
555 mm (Diameter)
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Osterley Park and House, London
NT 773323
Summary
Gold, commemorative medal for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria (1819-1901), by George William de Saulles (1862-1903) after Sir Thomas Brock (1847-1922) and William Wyon (1795-1851), struck Royal Mint, London, United Kingdom, 1897. A gold medal, the official medal issued by the Royal Mint to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, designed by George William de Saulles. The obverse, after Sir Thomas Brock, has a bust portrait in profile of the Queen facing left, crowned and with a veil, the Latin legend reading ‘Victoria successfully completed the sixtieth year of her reign, 20 June 1897’. The reverse, after William Wyon, is a profile portrait facing left of Victoria as a young woman, below the bust laurel branches and, within a ribbon, the date 1837. The Latin inscription reads ‘Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand glory’. In a red leather case embellished on the cover with the dates 1837-1897 and, above, a gilt crown.
Full description
Like the Golden Jubilee ten years earlier (see NT 773337), the Diamond Jubilee marking sixty years of Victoria’s reign was celebrated on 20 June, the day on which the Queen had acceded to the throne in 1837. By June 1897, Victoria had become Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, exceeding the reign of King George III by two months. The main celebratory event was a procession to and service at St. Paul’s Cathedral on 22 June. The procession, which included not only the royal party and its escort, but rulers, ministers and troops from every part of he British Empire, was watched by large and enthusiastic crowds along its route from Buckingham Palace. The service had to be held at the steps of the Cathedral, since the Queen was unable to walk into the building. The procession returned to Buckingham Palace via Mansion House, London Bridge and south London. In the evening there was a grand banquet at Buckingham Palace, whilst celebratory bonfires were lit the length and breadth of the land. This is the official medal for the Jubilee, issued by the Royal Mint. The medal was designed by George William de Saulles, Engraver to the Mint from 1893 until his death, where he was not only responsible for engraving the coinage, but also made large numbers of official and private medals. For the Diamond Jubilee medal, de Saulles based his portraits on images designed for the coinage, those of the young Victoria by William Wyon, the older monarch by Sir Thomas Brock. The medal was made in two sizes, 55 mm. (gold, silver and bronzed copper) and 26 mm. (gold and silver). 3,725 of the large gold medals were sold. All the medals, other than the small silver and the large bronzed copper, were supplied in red leather cases. Jeremy Warren 2019
Provenance
Given to the National Trust in 1993 by George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910-1998).
Marks and inscriptions
Obverse, legend: VICTORIA ANNVM REGNI SEXAGESIMVM FELICITER CLAVDIT XX IVN. MDCCCXCVII. Obverse, truncation: T.B. Reverse, legend: LONGITVDO DIERVM IN DEXTERA EIVS ET IN SINISTRA GLORIA Reverse, below bust, tied within ribbon: 1837 Box cover: 1837-1897
Makers and roles
George William de Saulles (1862 - 1903), medallist after Sir Thomas Brock (Worcester 1847 - London 1922), medallist after William Wyon (1795 - 1851), medallist
References
Wollaston 1978: Henry Wollaston, The Commemorative Collectors Guide to British Official Medals for Coronations and Jubilees, Nottingham 1978, pp. 87-90, no. 40. Brown 1987: Laurence Brown, British Historical Medals 1837-1901. The Reign of Queen Victoria, London 1987, pp. 431-32, no. 3506. Mitchiner 1988-2007: Michael Mitchiner, Jetons, Medalets and Tokens, 4 vols., London 1988-2007, vol. IV (British Isles from circa 1830), 2007, p. 2667, no. 126.3 (8792). Eimer 2010: Christopher Eimer, British Commemorative Medals and their Values, London 2010, p. 238, no. 1817, Pls. 200 and 201. Whittlestone and Ewing 2015: Andrew Whittlestone and Michael Ewing, Royal Commemorative Medals 1837-1897. Vol. 3. Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee 1897, Llanfyllin 2015, p. 7, no. 3000.