Written by Antonio Alejandro Piccolo
Dear readers of the Nomisma Aste blog, today we’d like to share with you the story of a fascinating coin from the Salmoiraghi Collection, which will be offered in our Auction 9.
In Lot 330, we present what many numismatists consider to be one of the most beautiful coins in the world: the 1839 Five Pounds “Una and the Lion.”
5 Pounds 1839 Una and the Lion
Issued two years after the coronation of Queen Victoria, this coin features on the obverse the bust of the young queen, and on the reverse a full-length depiction of the sovereign herself, adorned with a mantle and royal symbols (crown, sceptre, and orb), accompanied by a majestic lion.
Auction 9 – Salmoiraghi Collection, Lot 330, REGNO UNITO Vittoria (1837-1901) 5 Pound 1839 “Una and the Lion” – SPINK 3851 AU (g 39,45) RR
This image, a hopeful symbol for the beginning of the new reign, is a powerful and successful expression of the Romantic spirit of the time. The queen’s likeness is portrayed in the role of the literary character Una and the Lion, from The Faerie Queene by English poet Edmund Spenser (1552–1599). The lion, her guardian, whom she gracefully approaches with the sceptre, serves as an allegory for England itself.
It was the first time a British monarch had ever been depicted as a literary character, and the choice sparked considerable discussion. However, the enthusiastic reception of the coin and the success it garnered—which has only grown over nearly two centuries—amply justified this bold move.
Both the neoclassical portrait on the obverse and the reverse composition were the work of William Wyon, the famed Chief Engraver of the Royal Mint. Wyon created numerous coin and medal dies for Queen Victoria, beginning with a portrait for a medal issued on the occasion of her 18th birthday, and later including the celebrated “Gothic” portrait of 1847, used on crowns and other coin denominations.
Briton Rivière, Una and the Lion
The admiration between the Queen and the engraver was mutual. Victoria greatly appreciated the portraits Wyon created of her, even telling him that he always portrayed her “favourably.”
Wyon, for his part, stated that he found her to be an excellent model.
Una and the Lion, A True Masterpiece
The 1839 Five Pounds coin undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of dated British coinage, or milled coinage. The portrait of the queen features remarkable detail, and her full figure on the reverse is harmoniously proportioned in her regal attire. If it were a painting, it would be a work worthy of the National Gallery!
Struck in just a few hundred examples, it is a coin that perfectly embodies the spirit of the Victorian Age, making it highly sought after by collectors.
Read also:
- The article “The Elephant and Castle 5 guineas and guinea“
- The article “The 5 guineas 1741 and 1746 LIMA“
- Browse the catalogue of Auction 9 – Salmoiraghi collection