Prior to the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, her great-grandmother Queen Victoria was arguably the most beloved monarch in recent history. Ruling from 1837 to 1901, Queen Victoria embodied an entire era of British culture and represented the monarchy with grace. Her reign was known as the Victorian Era and reflected a time of industrial advancement and cultural change. Upon her death, a monument was created that reflected the virtues of the beloved Queen. Today, those virtues of Victory, Truth, Charity, Justice, Courage, and Constancy not only persist in the figure of Queen Elizabeth II, but also inspire the designs of a new six-coin release of foreign silver coins available from Provident Metals. As a new collection starts, now is your chance to get in on the ground floor and follow this exciting series.
Victory on the Reverse
For the reverse design element of the 2021 St. Helena Queen’s Virtues Victory 1 oz Silver Coin, the mint features a depiction of the Winged Angel of Victory. A figure from the ancient world, Victory (or Nike to the Greeks) was a female personification of victory that was often worshipped by victorious generals. Depictions of her figure persist into the modern age, with examples including a bust of Victoria atop the Berlin Victory Column and one of Winged Victory atop the Mexican Independence Victory Column in Mexico City, Mexico. In this design, inspired by the design of Sir Thomas Brock outside Buckingham Palace, the winged figure of Victory is shown in left-profile relief raising her right-hand overhead in victory as she clutches a palm branch as a symbol of peace and tranquility in her left hand. Powerful, elegant wings swoop up behind her figure and the design rim has an inscription of “Victory Through Harmony.”
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on the Obverse
In the obverse design of the 2021 St. Helena Victory 1 oz Silver Coins, the mint has chosen the Raphael Maklouf bust of Queen Elizabeth II to grace the coins. This bust of the Queen was featured on coins from the Royal Mint of England from 1985 to 1997 and also used on the currency of various Commonwealth nations during that time as well. The portrait captures the Queen in right-profile relief wearing the stunning George IV State Diadem Crown. You will notice that the crown has alternating crosses with a combined floral arrangement. The floral piece includes the English rose, Scottish thistle, and Irish clover, representing the three nations that make up the United Kingdom. Inscriptions on this face of the coin include “St. Helena,” “Queen Elizabeth II,” “2021,” and “One Ounce 999 Silver.”
Series Details
Issued by the East India Company, the new silver coins in the Queen’s Virtues Series will feature a total of six designs issued two per date mark over a three-year period. The series starts with this 2021 release of Victory and will continue with the depictions of Truth, Charity, Justice, Courage, and Constancy. Each coin in the collection boasts 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver and a face value of 1 Pound backed by St. Helena. The coins are packaged individually in plastic flips, by multiples of 20 in acrylic tubes, or by multiples of 500 in a Master Box with a total of 25 separate tubes inside. All coins are in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
History of the Queen’s Virtues
Upon the death of Queen Victoria in early 1901, Sir Thomas Brock developed a design for a monument known as the Victoria Memorial to be placed outside Buckingham Palace. Although all six of the Queen’s Virtues are present on the monument, it is Victory that takes center stage as the largest of the allegories standing tall over the others. At the feet of Victory, Courage and Constancy crouch nearby. Beneath the top of the monument are the personifications of Justice, Truth, and Charity. These classical-era female personifications encapsulated both Queen Victoria and her reign. Today, those virtues are carried forward by Queen Elizabeth II and still sit at the core of the virtues of the British nation.
Background on St. Helena
Many of the silver coins of the East India Company are issued for the island of St. Helena. The island is a British Overseas Territory as one part of a three-island constituency known as the British Overseas Territories of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. The most notable elements of St. Helena’s history in association with Britain are as the site of Napoleon’s exile and as the second-oldest overseas territory of the kingdom behind Bermuda.
Purchasing at Provident Metals
Please don’t hesitate to contact Provident Metals’ customer service if you have any questions about the coins in this new series. Our team members can assist you on the phone at 800-313-3315, online through our live chat, and via our email address. Remember to follow us on social media and check our weekly blog posts for more detailed information on new and upcoming releases we’ll carry.
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