1887 Victoria Coin

Introducing the 1887 Victoria 1 Sovereign Coin

In celebration of Queen Victoria’s 50 years on the throne in 1887, the Royal Mint redesigned the gold sovereign featuring an older, more current portrait of the beloved royal. Queen Victoria ascended the throne on 20 June 1837, soon after turning 18. On the day of the Golden Jubilee, the Queen celebrated with a royal banquet at Buckingham Palace with fifty foreign royal families. 

1887 Victoria Jubilee Sovereign 

The reverse side, by Italian engraver Benedetto Pistrucci, features the climactic scene from the legend of Saint George and the Dragon. St George, atop his valiant horse, is triumphant over the dragon underneath him. The ripples of his cape and the musculature of him and the horse bringing movement and life to this legendary scene. 

The obverse features the “Jubilee Head” portrait of Queen Victoria by Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm, made especially for the special royal occasion. 

These 1887 Gold Victoria Jubilee Sovereigns were also minted in Sydney, Australia and Melbourne, Australia. The mint is indicated on the reverse side, under the horse’s rear hoof. There would be a ‘M’ for Melbourne, ’S’ for Sydney, and none if minted in London. 

This 1887 Jubilee Head design would be reissued from 1887 until 1892. 

(Caption: Photograph of Queen Victoria, 1882 by Alexander Bassano)

How Much is the 1887 Victoria Coin Worth?

The total mintage figure for the 1887 Victoria Coin from all mints is about 3 million. Due to its intrinsic value as a gold coin (or its bullion value as it’s also known), the 1887 Victoria Coin is not easy to find. The highest price on eBay, as of 2019, was £1,786.85. 

Other Versions of the 1887 Victoria Sovereign Coin

1887 was the last year the Royal Mint allowed the circulation of two other Victoria Sovereigns, each featuring the “Young Head” portrait of Queen Victoria by William Wyon. One coin’s reverse side features the same St George and the Dragon design and the other features the British Royal Shield. It’s necessary to note that these two coins were only ever minted in the Australian mints. None were minted in London. 

Other Jubilee Coins

If you’re interested in other Jubilee commemorative coins, Chancery Collection also has the 2002 5 pound coin for Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee.