Historical Medals

Victoria, Golden Jubilee, 1887, a uniface trial striking in bronze by Sir J.E. Boehm, bust of Victoria left wearing small crown, victoria d g regina et imperatrix, signed j.e. boehm on truncation, 120mm (cf. Dyer and Stocker pl. 2, 16). About extremely fine and presumably extremely rare; mounted on maroon velvet in a contemporary glazed gilt wooden frame; the paper on the reverse inscribed ‘A bronze Medallion Modelle[d] by the late Sir J. Edgar Boehm Bart R.A., Sculptor [in] Ordinary to the Queen’ £600-£800

The drapery, font and signature are all different from the adopted design for the Royal Mint medallions and different again from the coinage. The nose is more aquiline, the veil and dress much less ornate, and the signature engraved with Boehm written in full. The lettering is larger and from a slightly different font, perhaps reminiscent of contemporary issues from the Berlin mint. Both the coinage and the medallions issued in 1887 show a more elaborate handling of the portrait, perhaps at the request of the queen or at the instigation of William Wyon who prepared the dies for the final versions.
A replacement for the young head coinage was first mooted as early as 1879. A favourite of Her Majesty and acclaimed monumental sculptor, Boehm was given the task. He produced various portraits in the early 1880s, none of them adopted. Dyer and Stocker suggest that the present effort probably dates c. 1885-6. (BNJ 54 [1984], pp.274-288). On its release in 1887, the new portrait did not meet with public approval. This disapproval quickly turned to ridicule which in turn gave way to xenophobia for the Austro-Hungarian who until then had been the toast of royalty, aristocracy and Victorian high society alike. It may be that such a spectacular fall from favour contributed to Boehm’s premature death in December 1890 at the age of 56.