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This coin is known as the Una and the Lion Five Pound piece. The design was derived from a poem, The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser in praise of Queen Elizabeth I published in 1590. In that poem Una is the personification of the "True Church" and also representative of Truth. At one she point tames a lion by her beauty and honesty; the lion then travels with her both as a guard and to undertake deeds. On the coin, by William Wyon, Una is Queen Victoria. She is wearing a crown and guiding the lion with her sceptre while holding an orb. It is a classic of the Victorian Age in both style and sentiment, and one of master engraver William Wyon's masterpieces, with a modest mintage in the hundreds. It was only minted on demand from the time it first appeared in the Coronation sets, only in Proof grade. | ||||||||||||
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Variety | DIRIGIT legend, inscribed edge, not proof | |
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Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Details | Coin alignment. | |
Variety | DIRIGIT legend struck on thick flan, not proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Variety | DIRIGIT legend, plain edge, not proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Details | Coin alignment. | |
Variety | DIRIGE legend, 13 leaves to rear fillet, proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Variety | DIRIGE legend, plain edge, proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Variety | DIRIGE legend, 9 leaves to rear fillet, not proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Variety | DIRIGIT legend, plain edge, proof | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown |
Source | Edition | About | Link | Notes |
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Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Coin description | link | |
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Mint | ||
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | 1971 | Mintage | ||
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | Varieties | All varieties | ||
Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World | 1965 | Varieties | Plain edge | |
Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Design | link |
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Country | United Kingdom |
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Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
Coin Type | Five Sovereigns (Pre-decimal) |
Issued | 1839 |
Monarch | Queen Victoria |
Effigy | Queen Victoria - Portrait by William Wyon (Young Head) |
Face Value | 5 (x Pound) |
Total Mintage | 400 |
Current | No; demonetised 1971 |
Material | 0.9167 Gold |
Designer | William Wyon |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Size | 36.000 mm |
Mass | 39.940 g |
OCC ID | NRWK-ZOJN-CRLL-OXGL |
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Image | Details |
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Pattern Coin - 5 Pounds, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1839
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Pattern Coin - 5 Pounds, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1839
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Great Britain 1839 5 pounds
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Heritage Auction Galleries Source |
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Great Britain 1839 5 pounds
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Heritage Auction Galleries Source |
Source | Reference ID |
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Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World | Great Britain 243 (Lettered edge) and 244 (Plain) |
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Great Britain KM# 742 |
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | 3851 |