Item number: A2647

Year: AD 1890

Material: Silver (.925)

Size: 38.4 x 38.4 x 2.5 mm

Weight: 27.8 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a British one-crown silver coin struck in AD 1890 during the reign of Queen Victoria (AD 1819–1901).

The obverse features a left-facing half-length portrait of Queen Victoria, wearing a mourning veil and a small diamond crown, dressed in formal attire adorned with a pearl necklace and earrings. On her chest are the star and ribbon of the Order of the Garter, and at her shoulder, the badge of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India. The surrounding Latin inscription reads “VICTORIA D:G: BRITT: REG F:D:”, an abbreviation of “Victoria Dei Gratia Britanniarum Regina Fidei Defensor”, meaning “Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Britains, Defender of the Faith”. Beneath the portrait appears the signature “J.E.B.”, referring to Joseph Edgar Boehm, an Austrian-born British sculptor whose works gained royal favour from the 1870s onwards, and who produced numerous sculptures and monuments for the Crown and government. In AD 1887, to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Victoria’s reign, Boehm created a series of Jubilee coinage designs including the sovereign, crown, florin, shilling, penny, and groat, collectively known as the Jubilee coinage. Although the portrait featured Victoria herself and her favoured small crown, the depiction’s departure from tradition and the frank rendering of the Queen’s aged appearance quickly drew public criticism. Contemporary newspapers commented, “That strange little crown looks as though it is about to fall off, making the whole portrait appear quite ridiculous.” Nonetheless, public reception was overall favourable, as evidenced by strong sales of commemorative sets. The design was eventually replaced in AD 1893 by one created by Thomas Brock.

The reverse depicts the legendary scene of Saint George slaying the dragon: the knight, armoured and mounted on horseback, wears a crested Roman-style helmet and wields a short sword, trampling the dragon beneath his steed. According to legend, a fearsome dragon had taken residence in a lake near a city, terrorising the inhabitants. To appease the creature, the townspeople offered a sheep daily; when the supply of sheep ran out, young maidens were chosen by lot for sacrifice. One day, the king’s daughter was selected. Though the king pleaded for mercy, the people insisted on fairness. As the princess awaited her fate by the lake, Saint George passed by and resolved to save her. After praying to God, he charged the dragon on horseback and pierced its throat with a lance, subduing the beast. The princess then led it back to the city with her girdle. Saint George declared that if the citizens converted to Christianity and received baptism, he would kill the dragon. They agreed, and after their conversion, he beheaded the dragon and restored peace to the city. The legend became a symbol of Christian martyrdom and courage in faith, with Saint George revered as the patron saint of England, Georgia, and other regions.

The reverse design was created by the Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, who joined the Royal Mint in AD 1815. His design for the sovereign was first issued in AD 1817, and the following year the same motif appeared on the crown. The depiction of Saint George and the dragon received wide acclaim, though his insistence on having his initials appear on both sides of the coin led to criticism. Later conflicts with King George IV and the Mint’s management limited his output. In his later years, Pistrucci dedicated three decades to designing the Waterloo Medal, which was finally issued posthumously in AD 1849 and is considered a masterpiece. The date “1890” appears below the exergue. Because Pistrucci refused to allow others to redesign the obverse, his reverse composition was not used on other coins until after his death in AD 1855.

The British crown, with a face value of five shillings or one-quarter of a pound, was first issued under Edward VI in AD 1551. Originally a high-purity silver coin symbolising royal authority and national identity, it was often minted to commemorate coronations, military victories, and other significant events. By the 17th century, it became one of the principal large silver coins in circulation. After the adoption of the gold standard in the 19th century, its everyday use declined. In AD 1920, the silver content was reduced to 50%, and by AD 1947, the coin was struck in cupronickel, ending the use of precious metals. Following decimalisation in AD 1971, the crown transitioned to a commemorative issue, often released in conjunction with royal events. Though still legal tender, it now primarily serves as a collectible and ceremonial gift, embodying the historical evolution of Britain’s coinage system.

Queen Victoria was the second-longest reigning monarch in British history, ascending the throne in AD 1837 and ruling until her death in AD 1901, for a total of 63 years and 216 days. Her reign marked the beginning of what became known as the Victorian era, a golden age of British history. She was the last monarch of the House of Hanover and, in AD 1876, became the first British sovereign to be crowned Empress of India. Under her rule, Britain experienced the peak of the Industrial Revolution, unprecedented imperial expansion, sweeping social reforms, and the consolidation of a global colonial empire that earned the name “the empire on which the sun never sets.” Known for her strict moral standards and emphasis on family values, Victoria helped shape the ethos of her age. She and her husband, Prince Albert, had nine children, whose marriages established dynastic ties across Europe’s royal houses, earning her the epithet “Grandmother of Europe.”

物件編號: A2647

年代: 公元 1890 年

材質: 銀 (925‰)

尺寸: 38.4 x 38.4 x 2.5 mm

重量: 27.8 g

製造地: 皇家鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚英國維多利亞女王任內，於公元1890年鑄行的1克朗銀幣。

銀幣正面中央是時任英國女王的維多利亞(生卒公元1819至1901年)的左側半身像，頭戴哀悼頭紗及小鑽石王冠，身著禮服，配戴珍珠項鍊及耳環，胸前配戴嘉德勳章之星及絲帶，肩前配戴印度皇冠帝國勳章。頭像周圍環列拉丁銘文「VICTORIA D:G: BRITT:REG F:D:」，全稱為「Victoria Dei Gratia Britanniarum Rex Fidei Defensor」，意即「蒙上帝恩典，大不列顛國王，信仰的捍衛者」。肖像肩下「J.E.B.」為設計者，奧地利裔英國雕刻家約瑟夫·埃德加·博姆(或譯約瑟·愛德嘉·保漢，Joseph Edgar Boehm)之署名，公元1870年代起，博姆的作品逐漸獲得女王的青睞，為王室與英國政府創作了大量雕像與紀念碑。公元1887年，博姆為紀念維多利亞女王統治50週年，創作了一系列金禧紀念幣模，包括索維林、克朗、弗羅林、先令、便士、格羅特等，統稱為禧年硬幣。儘管禧年幣的半身像描繪了女王本人及她所喜愛的小王冠，但小王冠的不符傳統、如實描繪的女王老化跡象，很快招致了廣泛的批評。「那頂看上去很奇怪的小皇冠似乎快要掉下來了，這讓這幅肖像顯得十分滑稽。」當時報紙如是說。但從精緻套幣的銷量來看，禧年硬幣仍然受到了公眾的歡迎。最終該設計於公元1893年被托馬斯·布羅克(Thomas Brock)的設計所取代。

銀幣背面描繪了聖喬治屠龍的傳說，騎士著甲勒馬，頭盔上有著古羅馬盔纓，手持短劍，惡龍滾落蹄下，似遭踐踏。傳說中，一條巨龍盤踞在一個城市附近的湖泊，威脅當地居民。為了平息巨龍的怒火，居民每天獻上一隻羊作為祭品，當羊隻耗盡後，便開始以少女作為替代，通過抽籤決定誰要被獻祭。一天，國王的女兒被抽中，儘管國王百般哀求人民赦免，但最終也無法例外。當公主被送往湖邊等候犧牲時，聖喬治恰好經過，見狀便決心救人。他在祈禱上帝之後，騎馬持矛迎戰巨龍，最終以長槍刺入其咽喉，制服巨龍，並讓公主用腰帶牽引它回城。聖喬治向民眾表示，只要他們願意接受洗禮信仰基督，便可殺死巨龍，於是全城受洗，聖喬治再將巨龍斬首，城市重獲安寧。這一傳說後來成為基督教殉道精神與勇敢信仰的象徵，聖喬治也被尊奉為英格蘭、喬治亞等地的守護聖人。

背面幣圖設計者為義大利雕刻家貝內代托·皮斯特魯奇(Benedetto Pistrucci)，其於公元1815年受聘於皇家鑄幣廠，公元1817年其所設計之索維林金幣首度發行，次年相同設計的克朗發行。聖喬治屠龍的幣圖受後世廣泛好評，但同時署名於錢幣正背面的做法使他遭受一些批評。後來與喬治四世以及鑄幣廠廠長的衝突亦使他產量不佳，晚年，皮斯特魯奇花費三十年所設計之滑鐵盧獎章終於於公元1849年問世，同樣被世人評為傑作。 地面下方「1890」為發行年。由於皮斯特魯奇本人拒絕更換正面設計者，於是直到其公元1855年逝世後，聖喬治屠龍幣圖才因此得以應用到其他硬幣上。

英國克朗(crown)幣面值為五先令，即¼英鎊，由愛德華六世於公元1551年始鑄。原為高純度銀幣，體現王權與國家形象，常用於紀念加冕、戰爭勝利等大事。公元17世紀後成為主要大額流通銀幣，19世紀金本位推行後使用漸少。公元1920年銀含量降至50%，公元1947年改為銅鎳材質，不再使用貴金屬。公元1971年英國實施十進制改革後，克朗轉為紀念幣，以其「王冠」之意，常於皇室相關慶典發行。今日雖具法定貨幣地位，實際多用於收藏與禮贈，成為反映英國歷史與貨幣制度變遷的重要象徵。

維多利亞女王是英國歷史上在位第二長的君主，自公元1837年即位至1901年逝世，統治長達63年又216天，開啟了被稱為「維多利亞時代」的黃金時期。她是漢諾威王朝的最後一位君主，公元1876年，成為第一位被加冕為「印度女皇」的英國君主。其在位期間，英國經歷了工業革命的高峰、帝國領土的空前擴張、社會制度的現代化及全球殖民體系的建立，成為「日不落帝國」。維多利亞以其嚴謹的道德觀與家庭價值觀，塑造了整個時代的社會風尚。她與丈夫阿爾伯特親王育有九名子女，與歐洲諸皇室建立聯姻關係，被稱為「歐洲的祖母」。