GREAT BRITAIN 1838 Coronation of Queen Victoria

Description

GREAT BRITAIN 1838 Coronation of Queen Victoria, official Royal Mint Issue, 36mm bronze medal 24.23 grams (BHM 1801, Eimer 1315)

Despite the pricing in Eimer, comparable examples have sold in excess of $Cdn675., probably a reflection of the low mintage of 1871 pieces, and their scarcity.

Obverse: Victoria facing left, VICTORIA D. G. BRITANNIARUM REGINA F. D. / B.P.

Reverse: enthroned Victoria receiving her crown from Britannia, Hibernia and Scotia, ERIMUS TIBI NOBILE REGNUM INAUGURATA DIE JUNII XXVIII MDCCCXXXVIII

The coronation of Queen Victoria took place on 28 June 1838, just over a year after she succeeded to the throne at the age of 18. The procession to and from the ceremony at Westminster Abbey was witnessed by unprecedentedly huge crowds, as the new railways made it easier for an estimated 400,000 to come to London from the rest of the country.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Victoria

Benedetto Pistrucci (1783 – 1855) was an Italian medallist and coin engraver, probably best known for his Saint George and the Dragon design for the British sovereign coin. Pistrucci was commissioned by the British government to create the large Waterloo Medal, a project which took him thirty years to complete.

Born in Rome in 1783, Pistrucci studied briefly with other artists before striking out on his own at age 15. He became prominent as a cameo carver and was patronised by royalty. In 1815, he moved to Britain, where he would live for most of the rest of his life. His talent brought him to the attention of notables including William Wellesley-Pole, the Master of the Mint. Pole engaged Pistrucci to design new coinage, including the sovereign, which was first issued in 1817 to mixed reactions. Although Pole probably promised Pistrucci the post of Chief Engraver, the position could not be awarded as only a British subject could hold it. This slight became a long-term grievance for Pistrucci.

Talented but temperamental, Pistrucci refused to copy the work of other artists. When in 1823 George IV demanded that an unflattering portrait of him on the coinage be changed with a new likeness to be based on the work of Francis Chantrey, Pistrucci refused and was nearly dismissed. The Mint did not dismiss him, lest the money already spent on the Waterloo Medal be wasted. Pistrucci kept his place with the Mint for the rest of his life, eventually completing the Waterloo Medal in 1849, though because of its great size it could not be struck. After Pistrucci's death, the George and Dragon design was restored to the sovereign coin, and is still used today.