Five Pound Piece: Victoria (obverse); St. George and the Dragon (reverse)

Description

The obverse design of this piece is usually known as the "Jubilee head," since 1887, the year of its production, was the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. By Sir Joseph Boehm, R.A., sculptor in ordinary to the queen, it caused a minor storm since it was said the tiny crown made the queen look ridiculous. The queen is said not to have liked the design herself, but she did in fact wear a small crown of this type when she began to find the full-size crown too heavy. The crown may be seen among the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.

Provenance

Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art (-1969); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1969-)

Five Pound Piece: Victoria (obverse); St. George and the Dragon (reverse)

Benedetto Pistrucci

1887

Accession Number

1969.219

Medium

gold

Dimensions

Diameter: 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.)

Classification

Coins

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

The Norweb Collection