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.
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」。
Borna Barac, Reference Catalogue Orders Medals and Decorations of the World : instituted until 1945 : Part II Bronze Book D-G (Craotia:OBOL d.o.o. Zagreb, 2010)