Item number: M50

Year: AD 1897

Material: Silver

Size: Order 18.0 x 21.4 / Ribbon 16.16 x 25.11 mm

Weight: 4.15 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint, London

Provenance: Private Collector, UK, 2023

On March 14, AD 1897, the government announced in the official newspaper, “The London Gazette,” that Queen Victoria would issue commemorative medals in gold, silver, and bronze to mark the upcoming Diamond Jubilee celebration in June. This event marked Queen Victoria’s continuation of the tradition of issuing commemorative medals, which she had initiated a decade earlier. The Diamond Jubilee celebration commemorated her sixty-year reign, and Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to host a Diamond Jubilee ceremony in the history of the royal family. This record stood until the reign of her great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, who hosted a Diamond Jubilee celebration as well.

The corresponding silver medal in this miniature set is specifically awarded to mayors and provosts from various regions. Royal family members receive the gold medal, while members of the Cabinet and military officers who attend the military parade receive the bronze medal. Recipients who were previously honored with the 1887 Golden Jubilee Commemorative Medal are eligible to receive a clasp with the year 1897 on top during this occasion. The blue ribbon of the medal is adorned with white stripes on both sides.

On the obverse side, there is a portrait of Queen Victoria wearing a small diamond crown, positioned to the left. This portrait is a creation of the renowned sculptor Joseph Edgar Boehm, often referred to as the “Jubilee Head,” sculpted a decade prior. The Latin legend on the obverse reads “VICTORIA D.G. REGINA ET IMPERATRIX F.D,” denoting Queen Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen and Empress, Defender of the Faith. On the reverse side, the English legend states, “IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 60TH YEAR OF THE REIGN OF QUEEN VICTORIA · 20 JUNE 1897.”

From her accession in AD 1837 until the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee in AD 1897, Queen Victoria ruled over Britain as an unrivaled colonial power and a pioneer in new technologies. The Diamond Jubilee celebration marking her sixty-year reign garnered widespread attention both domestically and internationally. It represented the first time that new technological advancements, specifically in the realm of visual documentation, were utilized to capture and commemorate a royal event. This period can be aptly described as the epitome of the Victorian era.

物件編號: M50

年代: 公元 1897 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 勳章 18.0 x 21.4 / 綬帶 16.16 x 25.11 mm

重量: 4.15 g

製造地: 皇家鑄幣廠, 倫敦

來源: 英國私人收藏 2023

公元1897年3月14日，政府當天在官方報紙《倫敦憲報》公告，維多利亞女王將沿襲十年前首次發行金禧紀念獎章，在6月即將登場的鑽禧，即登基一甲子的慶典上發行金、銀和銅質三種獎章。維多利亞女王也創下王室史上，首次舉辦鑽禧儀式的英國君主。該紀錄直到其曾孫女，伊莉莎白二世女王時期才被打破。

此迷你品對應的銀質獎章，頒發予各地的市長和自治市政官。若是皇室成員為金質，內閣成員和出席閱兵大典的三軍將士則是銅質。曾經獲得公元1887年金禧紀念獎章的授勳者，此次則能拿到一條有著公元1897年份的銘條。而獎章的藍色綬帶，在兩側各有一道白色條紋作裝飾。

獎章正面，頭戴小形鑽石皇冠的維多利亞女王左側肖像，是知名雕塑家約瑟·愛德嘉·保漢的十年前作品，還獲得「金禧頭」雅稱。正面的銘文是女王的拉丁名諱和頭銜「VICTORIA D.G. REGINA ET IMPERATRIX F.D」，反面則是以英文寫上「紀念維多利亞女王即位60周年 · 1897年6月20日」。

公元1837年繼位以來，到公元1897年舉辦鑽禧活動，維多利亞女王統治下的英國成為不可一世的殖民霸主和新技術的領航者。為此登基六十周年慶祝活動廣受海內外關注，也是首次以新科技影像紀錄的英國皇室活動，可以稱作維多利亞時代的最佳縮影。