1898 British shilling

[villa66]

An 1898 shilling with Victoria’s Veiled Head, coined the year after her Diamond Jubilee.

Victoria’s coronation had taken place in 1838, the year after she had become Queen. Victoria’s Silver Jubilee arrived in 1862, the year after her husband Albert’s death. She celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 1887, and her Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

So back to this 1898 shilling, and all the royal milestones but one have been accomplished. For Victoria only the one great state occasion remains—her funeral—and by the time this shilling was coined, on bad days, she must surely have felt its approach.

Victoria died early in 1901, the longest serving of Britain’s monarchs. On her casket was a bronze name-plate that cost five shillings. Five silver shillings like this one would have paid that bill exactly.

v.

[KarlAntonMartini]

Sic transit gloria mundi! - But a handsome nice coin, by Joseph Boehm, a famous sculptor of Austrian origin. Grüße, KarlAntonMartini

[villa66]

Sic transit gloria mundi!

Just so!

v.

[KarlAntonMartini]

Noch ein paar Angaben zu dieser Münze. Der Typ wurde von 1893 bis 1901 geprägt, 1898 waren es ca. 9,7 Mio. Stück. Es gibt zwei Varianten, die sich in der Größe der Rose auf der Rückseite unterscheiden, Spink 3940 und 3940A. Der Typ mit "kleiner Rose" wurde 1893 bis 1896 geprägt, der mit "großer Rose" ab 1895. In Kurs war diese Münze bis zur Einziehung aller britischen Silbermünzen nach 1947. Bis in die 1970er gab es noch vereinzelte Funde im Geldumlauf. Die Erhaltung ist deshalb meist schlechter als "schön". - Ich muß hier korrigieren, das Design ist nicht von Boehm, sondern von Thomas Brock (1847-1922). Er schuf noch die offizielle Medaille zum 60. Regierungsjubiläum und widmete sich dann wieder ausschließlich der Bildhauerei. Grüße, KarlAntonMartini

[villa66]

Thanks for the additional information on these shillings. I didn't know about the kleiner/grosser rose variety. But now I do!

The reminder about the withdrawal of British silver coins from circulation after 1946 leads to a thought I've never had before. The British used some of the silver obtained from the withdrawal and melting of their old coinage to return to the U.S. the Lend-Lease silver that had been borrowed during the war. Some of that silver borrowed by Britain had been obtained by the melting of American Peace and Morgan dollars under the 1942 Silver Act. What I've never thought of, though, is that when the silver was returned after the war, many of those old sixpences, shillings, florins and half-crowns (and British-Indian rupees, perhaps) may well have wound up as dimes, quarters, and half-dollars.

v.

[KarlAntonMartini]

May be the silver was dug originally in South America, captured by Francis Drake, and delivered to Tower Mint. Or maybe it was sent to Spain and spent for the always defecitary spanish economy and found its way to India. Hoarded for centuries it was transported by British vessels to England....