Item number: M151

Year: AD 1887

Material: Silver

Size: 17.6 x 53.9 x 2.2 mm

Weight: 5.0 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint, London

Provenance: Spink 2024

This is a medal issued in AD 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria, who was the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom at the time. The celebration marked fifty years of her reign, and medals were issued in gold, silver, and bronze. This was the second Golden Jubilee celebration held in the United Kingdom since the reign of Queen Victoria’s grandfather, King George III.

This miniature version corresponds to the silver medal. On the obverse is the portrait of Queen Victoria, sculpted by the renowned sculptor Joseph Edgar Boehm, wearing a small diamond crown. This portrait was later used in coinage designs in Britain and its colonies, earning it the nickname “Jubilee Head.” The obverse inscription includes the Queen’s Latin name and title, “VICTORIA D.G. REGINA ET IMPERATRIX F.D,” while the reverse is inscribed in English with “In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria · June 21, AD 1887.” The medal’s blue ribbon is decorated with a white stripe on each side. Ten years later, during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in AD 1897, the British government also issued a Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Medal based on this design.

Before the Golden Jubilee commemoration, Queen Victoria had withdrawn from public view and earned the monicker “Widow of Windsor” due to the profound grief following the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, in AD 1861. During this period, she predominantly wore black robes. It wasn’t until the Golden Jubilee celebrations in AD 1887 that Queen Victoria returned to the public eye. On the second day of the celebrations, June 21st, she appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to address the nation. This balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace, addressing the nation, became an important tradition for the British monarchy’s interaction with the public in the years to come.

物件編號: M151

年代: 公元 1887 年

材質: 銀

尺寸: 17.6 x 53.9 x 2.2 mm

重量: 5.0 g

製造地: 皇家鑄幣廠, 倫敦

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2024

這是一枚公元1887年，為慶祝時任英國統治者的維多利亞女皇登基半世紀，於金禧紀念的慶典上發行金、銀和銅質三種獎章。這是英國繼女皇的祖父喬治三世以來，第二度舉辦的金禧紀念活動。

這枚迷你版對應的是銀質獎章。正面是知名雕塑家約瑟·愛德嘉·保漢雕塑的，頭戴小形鑽石皇冠的維多利亞女王左側肖像。該肖像隨後應用在英國和其殖民地的鑄幣圖案，使其得到「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50周年 · 1887年6月21日」。獎章的藍色綬帶，於兩側各有一道白色條紋作裝飾。十年後，公元1897年鑽禧紀念活動時，佊時政府亦模仿該獎章發行鑽禧紀念獎章。

此次金禧紀念慶典以前，由於心愛的丈夫阿爾伯特親王於公元1861年病逝，從此悲痛欲絕的女皇僅穿著黑袍，並且淡出大眾視野使其得到「溫莎遺孀」之名。直到公元1887年此次的金禧紀念上，女皇再度回到公眾的視野。慶典儀式的第二天，6月21日，女皇現身白金漢宮的陽台向國民發表感言。這個在白金漢宮的陽台向國民發表演說，成為日後英國皇室跟大眾互動的一項重要傳統。