{{short description|Mid-19th century British coins}} {{Featured article}} [[File:1853 gold five shillings obverse.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Gold coin with a woman's head facing left|Wyon's portrait on the never-issued Victorian [[quarter sovereign]], 1853]] {{Use British English|date=December 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}}The '''Young Head coinage''' consists of the issues of [[Coins of the pound sterling|British coins]] with an [[obverse]] bust of [[Queen Victoria]] first used in 1838 while Victoria was still a teenager. Designed by [[William Wyon]], the bust remained on some denominations of British coins until 1887, by which time she was almost 70 years of age and had ceased to resemble her depiction. Wyon's bust of Victoria also appeared on coinage for [[Crown Dependencies|British dependencies]].
The young queen sat for Wyon multiple times in August and September 1837. Wyon then created his coinage portrait of her, which was approved in February 1838. Minting with the portrait began later that year; some of the new issues had [[obverse and reverse|reverses]] by Wyon, others by [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]. The new issue produced generally favourable reactions, especially the [[Una and the Lion]] reverse used for the [[five pounds (gold coin)|five-pound piece]].
The Wyon portrait of Victoria proved to be a favourite of hers, and because of that continued on the coinage even after she no longer resembled it. It was replaced on the [[penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]] and its fractions when [[1860s replacement of the British copper coinage|the copper coinage was replaced with bronze]] in the 1860s, but continued on some of the gold and silver coinage. It was finally superseded by the [[Jubilee coinage]] in 1887. Wyon's portrait was imitated or reproduced from the time of its issue, and both the portrait and the Una reverse appeared on [[Commemorative coins of the United Kingdom|British commemorative coins]] in 2019.
==Background and preparation== [[File:William-Wyon-1854.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Silver (or other white metal) medal of a middle-aged man (William Wyon) facing right|William Wyon on a posthumous medal by his son, [[Leonard Charles Wyon]], 1854]] King [[William IV]] died on 20 June 1837; his niece, [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]], was his successor. This change meant that a new coinage would be prepared.{{sfn|Marsh|p=27}} At this time, the [[Royal Mint]]'s chief engraver, [[William Wyon]], focused on the side of the coin bearing the monarch's portrait, the [[obverse and reverse|obverse]], and the second engraver worked on the other side, the reverse.{{sfn|Marsh|p=14}}
Wyon had been chief engraver of the Royal Mint since 1828. Then, a battle with [[Benedetto Pistrucci]] over the position had been settled by making Wyon chief engraver and Pistrucci chief [[medallist]], at equal salaries.{{sfn|Marsh|p=14}} [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (also known as Johann Baptist Merlen) was of Flemish origin, and had been working on official medals in Paris under the [[First French Empire|French First Empire]]. He emigrated to Britain and was hired by the Royal Mint, apparently at Pistrucci's recommendation.{{sfn|Forrer|p=38}} His formal position was as a temporary extra engraver, for he was, like Pistrucci, a foreigner ineligible by statute for the permanent salaried posts at the Royal Mint. Merlen in practice acted as second engraver, and that position was held vacant until after his retirement in 1844.{{sfn|Dyer & Gaspar|pp=492–493}}
Victoria sat for Wyon at [[Windsor Castle]] on 25 August 1837, two months after she became queen, then again the following day and again two days after that.{{sfn|Jones|p=61}} Victoria sat again for him on 15 and 16 September, enabling him to complete the coinage portrait, which is similar to the [[medal]] he had prepared to commemorate her accession.{{sfn|Jones|p=71}} Pistrucci was also granted sittings; Wyon was to design the coinage and Pistrucci the coronation medal. There was still a bitter rivalry between the two at the Royal Mint, and each had his partisans; the coinage redesign took place amid a battle between the two camps in the newspapers.{{sfn|Jones|pp=62–63}}
Designs for the new coinage, together with an example of the [[sovereign (British coin)|sovereign]] were submitted to Victoria by the Master of the Mint, [[Henry Labouchere, 1st Baron Taunton|Henry Labouchere]], on 15 February 1838, with the required designs having been described by an [[order in council]] dated 26 July 1837. They were approved on 26 February 1838.{{sfn|Marsh|pp=27–28}}
The new coinage was subject to several delays. A Wyon supporter (likely [[Nicholas Carlisle]]) accused Pistrucci of ordering Royal Mint employees to work on the coronation medal who should have been helping to prepare the new coinage.{{sfn|Jones|p=436}} Merlen, who engraved the reverses of the precious metal coins (the coppers were engraved by Wyon), was slow to complete his work, and did not complete the work until 1839. Then, the Royal Mint suffered difficulties with production, with coinage [[coining (mint)|dies]] breaking before they struck an adequate number of coins, causing Wyon to visit the [[Monnaie de Paris]] at his own expense to see if the French could be of help. He found them hospitable (the Royal Mint had granted wide access to a party of French officials some years previously), and he was given an audience with King [[Louis Philippe]]. The visit does not seem to have solved the problems.{{sfn|Jones|pp=71–72}}
Wyon was able to utilise the same portrait of Victoria for all denominations by use of a [[reducing machine]], which the Royal Mint had purchased in 1824, a duplicate of one Pistrucci had obtained for himself.{{sfn|Craig|p=299}}
==Designs== ===Obverse=== [[File:Metropolitan canova naiad 3.JPG|thumb|alt=Detail from a sculpture showing a woman with her hair in a knot facing left|This [[Antonio Canova]] sculpture is a variation on the ''Fountain Nymph''.]] The Young Head coinage bears a portrait of Victoria facing left, her hair bound by a double [[fillet (clothing)|fillet]] and tied in a knot,{{sfn|Jones|p=435}} from which a loose curl escapes.{{sfn|Kappen|p=269}} The coin design is a development of the medals Wyon had prepared for Victoria's accession and for the visit of [[Prince Henry of the Netherlands (1820–1879)|Prince Henry of the Netherlands]] to the Royal Mint, all look back to [[Antonio Canova]]'s sculpture ''Fountain Nymph''.{{sfn|Jones|p=436}} The [[numismatics|numismatist]] Lawrence W. Cobb described it as a "classic portrait of Victoria ... the head of a lovely young girl ... the celebrated 'Young Head' design, which was destined to grace British and Empire coinage for decades and would inspire many imitations, both good and bad."{{sfn|Cobb|p=493}} Cobb cited the description of the issue by [[Stack's Bowers|Stack's]] auction house, that Wyon had managed to "catch her spontaneous youthful charm and at the same time create an excellent likeness".{{sfn|Cobb|pp=493, 499}} According to the [[Royal Mint Museum]], of Wyon's portraits of Victoria, that "approved for the coinage in 1838 undoubtedly takes pride of place. Wyon was clearly inspired by his admiration of the [[neoclassicism#sculpture|neo-classical]] style of his mentor [[John Flaxman]] to create an uncluttered and well-balanced portrait."<ref>{{cite web|title=William Wyon|access-date=3 February 2026|publisher=[[Royal Mint Museum]]|url=https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/journal/people/william-wyon}}</ref>
[[Kevin Clancy]], in his volume on the history of the sovereign coin, stated that Wyon's "portrait transformed a monarch, not known for her beauty, into an attractive young woman. It is hardly surprising he became a favourite, and that his Young Head portrait was retained until Victoria was in her late 60s."{{sfn|Clancy|p=69}} According to André Celtel and Svein H. Gullbekk, in their own volume on the sovereign, "the beautiful features of this simple and uncluttered portrait flatter the queen, who was a grandmother in her late sixties before she allowed it to disappear from the coinage."{{sfn|Celtel & Gullbekk|p=105}} Wyon's initials appear on the truncation of the bust on coins larger than the [[sixpence (British coin)|sixpence]].{{sfn|Lobel|p=534}}
===Reverses=== [[File:Una and the lion by BURKE, THOMAS - GMII.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Image of a seated woman playing a musical instrument as a lion looks on|Engraving of Una and the Lion by [[Thomas Burke (artist)|Thomas Burke]]]] The only [[five pounds (gold coin)|five-pound piece]] of the Young Head series was dated 1839. The numismatist Richard Lobel calls it one of the most famous and attractive of all British coins. This piece, known as the [[Una and the Lion]] coin, is described by him as having "cult status".{{sfn|Lobel|p=427}} The numismatic author Peter Seaby deemed it "this famous coin designed by William Wyon".{{sfn|Seaby|p=153}} According to the numismatic writer Graham Bennett, it is Wyon's masterpiece.{{sfn|Bennett|pp=47–48}} The Royal Mint's website characterises it, "The gold five-pound piece of 1839, though not as spectacularly rare as the [[Edward VIII]] [[pattern coin]]s, is arguably one of the most beautiful coins in the world."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/collection/coins/una-and-the-lion-five-pound-piece|access-date=22 November 2025|publisher=[[Royal Mint Museum]]|title=Una and the lion five-pound piece}}</ref>
The symbolism on the coinage had been adapted to male monarchs, and something was needed to replace Pistrucci's [[Saint George and the Dragon]] reverse for the five-pound coin. Wyon's Una and the Lion coin was the result.{{sfn|Jones|p=73}} Una and the Lion appear in [[Edmund Spenser]]'s 16th-century epic ''[[The Faerie Queene]]''. The obverse contains the Young Head of the Queen, facing left, while the reverse shows her as Una leading the lion to the left.{{sfn|Bair|pp=46–47}} A specimen in exceptional condition sold in 2021 for US$1.44 million (£1.04 million).{{sfn|Bair|p=50}}
The other gold coins struck with the Young Head are the sovereign and [[half sovereign]]; both initially depicted the royal arms on the reverse.{{sfn|Clancy|p=69}} The royal arms as shown on the coinage represent a change from earlier reigns as they omit the arms of Hanover—under [[Salic law]], women could not inherit that throne,{{sfn|Clancy|p=69}}{{sfn|Lobel|p=468}} and thus on King William's death, [[Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover|Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland]], Victoria's uncle, became King of Hanover.{{sfn|Hawkins|p=204}} On the sovereign, the arms are surrounded by a laurel wreath; beneath it, a shamrock and a thistle are threaded through a rose, symbolic of Ireland, Scotland and England.{{sfn|Jones|p=435}} On the half sovereign, the wreath and floral emblems are replaced by ornate garnishing.{{sfn|Marsh|p=122}}
The other denominations bearing a wreathed shield were the [[crown (British coin)|crown]] and the [[half crown (British coin)|half crown]]. The [[shilling (British coin)|shilling]] and sixpence bore statements of its denomination,{{sfn|Seaby|p=154}} a continuation of the designs, by Merlen, used under William IV.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=534, 547}} These had been the first English or British coins to state their denomination on the reverse.{{sfn|Jones|p=291}} The [[fourpence (British coin)|fourpence]] also continued its design, by Wyon, featuring [[Britannia]] that it had borne since its introduction in 1836.{{sfn|Seaby|p=154}} It was discontinued for circulation in 1855, recognising the rise of the silver [[threepence (British coin)|threepence]], bearing the same design as the [[Royal Maundy|Maundy]] threepence. The currency threepence was struck with Wyon's bust of Victoria from 1838 for colonial use, and beginning in 1845 for use in the United Kingdom.{{sfn|Seaby|p=154}}{{sfn|Lobel|p=564}}
The [[penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]], [[halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|halfpenny]], [[farthing (British coin)|farthing]] and [[third farthing]] were given a depiction of Britannia, by Wyon, like the one those coins bore under King William, and near-identical to the one introduced in the mid-1820s under William's brother and predecessor, [[George IV]].{{sfn|Jones|p=441}}{{sfn|Peck|pp=394–414}} One detail that was translated to some of Merlen's designs from Wyon's copper coinage was the intertwined rose, shamrock and thistle; it had appeared on Wyon's copper coinage for King George.{{sfn|Jones|pp=436, 440}}
Of the small coins meant for colonial use, the [[Three halfpence (British coin)|three halfpence]], a small silver coin with a reverse by Merlen, was intended for use in [[Ceylon]] and the [[British West Indies|West Indies]]; its resemblance to British coinage has caused it to be catalogued amongst British coins.{{sfn|Lobel|p=577}} The [[half farthing]] had been struck under King George and King William with a similar reverse to the larger coppers. With the fourpence, identical in size to the half farthing, now circulating, the half farthing was given a reverse design, by Wyon, which explicitly stated its value, lest the half farthing be plated with silver and pass for fourpence. The 1839 issue shows only a rose below the denomination; when it gained legal tender status in Britain in 1842, Wyon changed that for the intertwined flowers found on the larger coppers.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=617–618}} The [[quarter farthing]] was not made legal tender in Britain, being too small to have any real purchasing power there, and bore a design similar to Wyon's 1839 half farthing.{{sfn|Lobel|p=621}}
==Release and reaction== The first Young Head coins to be released were dated 1838, with sovereigns, half sovereigns, half crowns, shillings, sixpences, pennies, halfpennies and [[Royal Maundy#Maundy coinage|Maundy money]].{{sfn|Seaby|p=153}} The shilling was first available on 11 August 1838 in limited quantities, with greater supplies expected soon, and was said by one newspaper to bear "an exceedingly handsome profile of her Majesty, by Wyon".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Bradford Observer|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bradford-observer/185390428/|date=16 August 1838|page=1|title=New Coinage|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=21 November 2025}}</ref> Nevertheless, it was not until January and February 1841 that the coppers entered circulation in any quantity; not much precious metal coinage was struck until the middle of the following year.{{sfn|Jones|p=72}} When the coppers were made available, a correspondent for ''[[The Athenaeum (British magazine)|The Athenaeum]]'' wrote of the pennies that they {{blockquote|display the same grace and skill in execution which characterize [Wyon's] productions. Here, however, all commendation must cease. In all other respects, I can only speak of this coin in terms of disapprobation. First, as to the quality of the metal: it is so ill-prepared, that upon very many of the pieces the surface has broken up in flakes. Secondly, as to the striking: I have not seen a single piece which is what is technically called well struck up ...<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Bath Chronicle|The Bath Chronicle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bath-weekly-chronicle-and-herald/185223119/|date=11 February 1841|page=4|title=The New Copper Coinage |via=Newspapers.com|access-date=21 November 2025}}</ref>}}
The ''Kendal Mercury'', though, stated on 23 January 1841, "a beautiful specimen of new coins has been issued from the Mint, consisting of penny pieces ... on one side is a most excellent medallion likeness of her present Majesty, richly and elaborately finished ... the finish of the coins produced ... cannot be excelled in the most valuable materials."{{sfn|Jones|p=441}} ''[[The Scotsman]]'' called the penny "very handsome" and Wyon's portrait "beautifully executed".{{sfn|Jones|p=441}} However, not everyone considered the portrait to be successful, and ''[[The Times]]'' thought it inaccurate.<ref name ="chief">{{cite web|publisher=[[Royal Mint Museum]]|accessdate=21 November 2025|url=https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/journal/denominations/modern-sovereign/victoria|title=The 'Chief Coin of the World'}}</ref>
''[[The Art Journal]]'' stated that the Una and the Lion coin "for chastity of design and beauty of execution, far exceeds anything that has hitherto issued from Her Majesty's Mint".{{sfn|Jones|p=74}} ''[[Berrow's Worcester Journal]]'' deemed it "the most perfect of coins".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Berrow's Worcester Journal]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/berrows-worcester-journal/185461254/|date=19 November 1846|page=3|title=New Coin |via=Newspapers.com|access-date=22 November 2025}}</ref> [[The Guardian|''The Manchester Guardian'']] wrote that it, "for beauty of execution, excels any thing yet issued from the mint".<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Guardian|The Manchester Guardian]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian/185461851/|date=17 November 1841|page=2|title=((no title)) |via=Newspapers.com|access-date=22 November 2025}}</ref>
==Production == [[File:1837 Victoria visits City of London obverse.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Bronze medal with a portrait of a woman facing left|Obverse of Wyon's medal for Victoria's visit to the [[City of London]], 1837]] The Una and the Lion five-pound coins did not circulate, were struck only on demand and were sold by the Royal Mint until 1886; there are a number of varieties and a total mintage of perhaps 400.{{sfn|Bair|pp=46–47}} No [[double sovereign]] was issued with the Young Head obverse.{{sfn|Seaby|p=153}} The sovereign and half sovereign though, were issued almost every year from 1838 to 1887 bearing the Young Head, over a third of a century after Wyon's death in 1851.{{sfn|Lobel|pp=454, 468}} The crown was struck with the Young Head only in 1839, 1844, 1845 and 1847, in small numbers and not for the general public. According to a Wyon obituarist, the [[Company of Moneyers]], who then [[Farm (revenue leasing)|farmed]] the Royal Mint, refused a general issue that would require extra care lest their profits be diminished.{{sfn|Jones|p=440}}{{sfn|Spink predecimal|p=513}}
The shield motif was used on the half sovereign throughout the Young Head's time, and on the sovereign until 1874—Pistrucci's Saint George and the Dragon reverse was reintroduced in 1871 by the new deputy Master of the Royal Mint, [[Charles William Fremantle]], who disliked the shield reverse.<ref name = "chief" /> Pistrucci's reverse was used for all Young Head sovereigns after 1874, except those struck at the [[Royal Australian Mint|Australian mints]], where both types were struck until 1887. Many of the shield-back coins were sent to [[British Raj|India]], where they may have been preferred to the ones with Pistrucci's reverse.{{sfn|Seaby|pp=153–154}}
The [[florin (British coin)|florin]], introduced in 1849, never bore the Young Head, instead depicting a [[Gothic art|Gothic-style]] bust of Victoria designed by Wyon.{{sfn|Lobel|p=517}} After the issuance of the florin, the half crown, to which it was close in size and value, was not coined for a quarter-century to give the new coin a fair start. In 1874, enquiries through the banks showed that each coin had strong partisans, and striking of the half crown was resumed.{{sfn|Craig|pp=313–314}}
Besides the threepence,{{sfn|Lobel|p=564}} other coins struck for colonial use that bear the Young Head bust of Victoria include the silver [[Twopence (British pre-decimal coin)|twopence]], struck mainly for use in [[British Guiana]] in 1838, 1843 and 1848.{{sfn||Lobel|p=574}} The three halfpence was struck with the Young Head between 1838 and 1870.{{sfn|Lobel|p=577}} The half farthing had been first struck in 1828 and was intended for Ceylon, but was made current in Britain in 1842, despite comments that very little could be bought with one.{{sfn|Lobel|p=617}} It never came into general circulation in Britain{{sfn|Kappen|p=269}} and was discontinued after 1856, though ones dated 1868 are known, possibly in preparation for a proposed issue for [[Jamaica]].{{sfn|Lobel|p=617}} The third farthing, intended for [[Malta]], was issued with the Young Head only in 1844; by the time it was issued again in 1866, it was with a head of Victoria designed by Wyon's son, [[Leonard Charles Wyon]].{{sfn|Lobel|pp=619–620}} The quarter farthing, intended for Ceylon (where it had more purchasing power) was struck in 1839, 1851, 1852, 1853 and 1868, the last possibly preparation for an issue for Jamaica.{{sfn|Lobel|p=621}}
==End of series== [[File:1887 double sovereign obverse.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Gold coin with a woman's head facing left|The [[Jubilee coinage]] ended the Young Head coinage (obverse of [[double sovereign]] shown).]] Beginning in 1860, [[1860s replacement of the British copper coinage|the old copper coinage was replaced by bronze pieces]]. The new coins bore a bust of Victoria by Leonard Charles Wyon (known as the [[Bun penny]]). The old pennies, halfpennies, farthings and half farthings were demonetised at the end of 1869.{{sfn|Peck|pp=416–419}}{{sfn|Craig|p=325}}
By the 1880s, the sovereign, half sovereign, half crown, shilling, sixpence, threepence and Maundy coinage were still struck with the Young Head, though minor changes to it had been made over time.{{sfn|Spink predecimal|pp=497, 502, 515, 520–525}} It remained on the coinage because Victoria liked it;{{sfn|Jones|p=73}} the queen was past 60 and no longer resembled her numismatic depiction. In February 1879, the [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign|private secretary to the queen]], Sir [[Henry Ponsonby]], informed Fremantle that [[Joseph Edgar Boehm]] had been engaged to produce a medallic likeness of the queen that could be adapted for coinage purposes.{{sfn|Dyer & Stocker|p=274}} Progress was slow as Boehm was busy with other commissions.{{sfn|Dyer & Stocker|p=275}} It was not until March 1887 that the [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]], [[George Goschen, 1st Viscount Goschen|George Goschen]], approved the coins, dies for which were prepared from Boehm's models by Leonard Charles Wyon.{{sfn|Dyer & Stocker|pp=277–280}} They were released on 20 June 1887, Victoria's 50th anniversary on the throne.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Liverpool Echo]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/liverpool-echo/187058874//|date=10 June 1887|page=3|title=The New Coins |via=Newspapers.com|access-date=18 December 2025}}</ref> The [[Jubilee coinage]] was attacked as inartistic and for the small crown they depicted Victoria wearing,{{sfn|Dyer & Stocker|p=280}} In September 1889, Victoria wrote, "the Queen dislikes the new coinage very much, and wishes the old one could still be used and the new one gradually disused, and then a new one struck".{{sfn|Dyer & Stocker|p=283}} The Jubilee coins were replaced by the [[Old Head coinage]] beginning in 1893.{{sfn|Spink predecimal|p=490}}{{sfn|Lant|p=141}}
== Reproductions, imitations and later versions== [[File:Cumberland Jack.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Grouping of brass tokens, most have variations of a woman's head on them|A grouping of "Cumberland Jack" whist counters using imitations of the Young Head]] Imitations of the Young Head design were circulated as early as 1840, with currency tokens for [[Nova Scotia]]. A somewhat distorted version in low relief was issued for India in 1841 and 1842; Wyon was called upon to make revisions of them in 1849, and the new issues of coins bore the same dates as the old.{{sfn|Cobb|p=494}} The obverse dies for the farthing, halfpenny and penny were used to make coins for the [[Isle of Man]], with a reverse design for the island by Merlen,{{sfn|Jones|p=441}} and the half farthing, farthing and halfpenny obverses were placed on coinage for [[Gibraltar]] in 1842.{{sfn|Jones|p=514}} The penny and halfpenny issued by the colony of [[New Brunswick]] in 1854 feature the Young Head on one side, transferred from the British halfpenny and shilling respectively by Wyon's son Leonard. The original Australian sovereign, issued in 1854 and 1855, bears a portrait very close to the Young Head, engraved by Wyon's relative James Wyon.{{sfn|Cobb|p=494}} Another depiction by William Wyon of the youthful Victoria, but wearing a diadem, was first used on the 1837 medal marking the Queen's visit to the [[London Guildhall]], but was reused on many coins and medals. It was also the basis for the [[Penny Black]], the first adhesive [[postage stamp]].{{sfn|Cobb|pp=494–496}}
[[File:Queen_Victoria%27s_Diamond_Jubilee,_1897_MET_DP-180-011.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Gold medal with a woman's head facing left|Brock's medal for the Diamond Jubilee]] Imitations of the Young Head design appeared on private issues of tokens as well, such as the so-called "To Hanover" or "Cumberland Jack" tokens, which on the other side bore an image representing the unpopular King Ernest skulking off to his Hanoverian domains. These remained popular as gaming tokens long after they were no longer topical, and were sometimes passed as sovereigns. The Counterfeit Medal Act 1883 made them illegal.{{sfn|Hawkins|pp=203–208}}<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Powerhouse Museum]]|accessdate=20 November 2025|url=https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/312199|title='Cumberland Jack' token, after 1838}}</ref>
In 1897 when [[Thomas Brock]] was preparing the medal for [[Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee]], he used Wyon's Young Head on one side of the medal with his own [[Old Head coinage|Veiled Head]] of Victoria on the other. The medal was engraved by [[George William de Saulles]].{{sfn|Cobb|p=394}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Brooch; medal|publisher=The [[British Museum]]|url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1978-1002-1174|accessdate=20 November 2025}}</ref>
In 2019 the Royal Mint issued a five-pound piece commemorating the bicentennial of Victoria's birth that included an interpretation of Wyon's Young Head portrait.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|accessdate=22 November 2025|url=https://www.royalmint.com/collect/archive/2019/200th-Anniversary-of-the-Birth-of-Queen-Victoria-2019-UK-5-pound-Silver-Proof-Coin/|title=Queen Victoria 2019 UK £5 Silver Proof Coin}}</ref>{{sfn|Spink decimal|p=125}} The same year, the Royal Mint began a Great Engravers series, reproducing classic designs. First in the series was the Una and the Lion reverse, with an obverse by Jody Clark of Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. The coin was issued both in silver and in gold, in denominations as high as £5,000, with that piece containing five kilograms of fine gold. Although more of the smaller denominations were sold, only one of the £5,000 piece was sold.{{sfn|Spink decimal|pp=352–353}} The Una and the Lion design has also been reproduced on coins of Gibraltar, Alderney and Saint Helena.{{sfn|Jones|p=454}}
==The Young Head coinage==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: left;" |+ {{Sronly|List of Young Head coins}} ! scope="col" | Denomination ! scope="col" | Obverse ! scope="col" | Reverse ! scope="col" | Reverse designer and date of design if earlier ! scope="col" | Years struck with Young Head obverse |- ! scope="row" | [[Five pounds (gold coin)|Five-pound piece]] | [[File:Una and lion obverse.jpeg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:Una and lion reverse.jpeg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a woman leading a lion]] | [[William Wyon]]{{sfn|Bennett|p=47}} | 1839{{sfn|Bennett|p=47}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Sovereign (British coin)|Sovereign]] (shield design) | [[File:1844 sovereign obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1844 sovereign reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a coat of arms]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]{{sfn|Lobel|p=454}} | 1838–1887;{{sfn|Lobel|pp=454–455}} reverse most recently used in 2025<ref>{{cite web|title=The Sovereign 2025 Gold Proof Coin|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|accessdate=22 November 2025|url=https://www.royalmint.com/sovereign/all/the-sovereign-2025-gold-proof-coin/}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | [[Sovereign (British coin)|Sovereign]] (George and Dragon) | [[File:1871 Sovereign obverse.jpeg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1871 Sovereign reverse.jpeg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a man fighting a dragon]] | [[Benedetto Pistrucci]]<ref name = "six">{{Cite web |date=12 November 2025 |title='Chief Coin of the World' Now One of The Most Visually Secure with New Advanced Security Features and Return to Yellow Gold |url=https://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/press-centre/chief-coin-of-the-world-now-one-of-the-most-visually-secure-with-new-advanced-security-features-and-return-to-yellow-gold/|publisher=[[Royal Mint]]|access-date=14 November 2025}}</ref> (1817; major modification in 1821){{sfn|Lobel|p=453}} | 1871–1887; reverse most recently used in 2026<ref name = "six" /> |- ! scope="row" | [[Half sovereign]] | [[File:1882-M half sovereign obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1882-M half sovereign reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Gold coin with a coat of arms]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]{{sfn|Lobel|p=468}} | 1838–1887{{sfn|Lobel|pp=468–470}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Crown (British coin)|Crown]] | [[File:1839 crown obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1839 crown reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a coat of arms]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]{{sfn|Lobel|p=488}} |1839, 1844, 1845, 1847, 1879{{sfn|Lobel|pp=489–490}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Half crown (British coin)|Half crown]] | [[File:1840 half crown obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1840 half crown reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a coat of arms]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]]{{sfn|Bull|p=367}} | 1839–1887{{sfn|Lobel|p=510}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Shilling (British coin)|Shilling]] | [[File:1853 shilling obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1853 shilling reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with its value in a wreath]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (1831){{sfn|Lobel|p=534}} | 1838–1887{{sfn|Lobel|pp=534–536}} |-
! scope="row" | [[Sixpence (British coin)|Sixpence]] | [[File:1885 sixpence obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1885 sixpence reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with its value in a wreath]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (1831){{sfn|Lobel|p=547}} | 1838–1887; last used in 1910{{sfn|Spink predecimal|pp=520–522, 556}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Fourpence (British coin)|Fourpence]] (groat) | [[File:1839 groat obverse.jpeg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1839 groat reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a rendering of Britannia]] | [[William Wyon]]{{sfn|Lobel|pp=559–560}} (1836){{sfn|Lobel|p=559}} | 1838–1862; last used in 1888{{sfn|Lobel|pp=559–560}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Threepence (British coin)|Threepence]] | [[File:1858 threepence obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1858 threepence reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a number in a wreath]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (1822){{sfn|Lobel|pp=564–566}} | 1838–1887;{{sfn|Lobel|pp=564–566}} reverse last used in 1926{{sfn|Lobel|p=567}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Twopence (British pre-decimal coin)|Twopence]] | [[File:GREAT BRITAIN, VICTORIA 1838 -MAUNDY TWOPENCE b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:GREAT BRITAIN, VICTORIA 1838 -MAUNDY TWOPENCE a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a number in a wreath]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (1822){{sfn|Lobel|p=522}} | 1838–1848{{sfn||Lobel|p=574}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Maundy coinage]] | [[File:1872 Maundy set obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coins with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1872 Maundy set reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coins with a number in a wreath]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (1822){{sfn|Lobel|pp=555–556, 564}} | 1838–1887;{{sfn|Lobel|p=556}} reverse last used in 2025{{sfn|Lobel|p=556}}<ref name = "maundy">{{cite web|title=2025 Maundy Money Four-Coin Silver Proof Charles III Set|access-date=14 May 2025|url=https://britanniacoincompany.com/buy-coins/milled-coins/2025-maundy-set/|publisher=The Britannia Coin Company}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" | [[Three halfpence (British coin)|Three halfpence]] | [[File:1843 three halfpence obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1843 three halfpence reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Silver coin with a number in a wreath]] | [[Jean Baptiste Merlen]] (1834){{sfn|Lobel|p=577}} | 1838–1870{{sfn|Lobel|p=577}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|Penny]] | [[File:1853 penny obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1853 penny reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a rendering of Britannia]] | [[William Wyon]] (1825){{sfn|Lobel|pp=583–584}} | 1839–1860{{sfn|Lobel|p=586}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|Halfpenny]] | [[File:1838 halfpenny obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1838 halfpenny reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a rendering of Britannia]] | [[William Wyon]] (1825){{sfn|Lobel|p=599}} | 1838–1860{{sfn|Lobel|pp=598–599}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Farthing (British coin)|Farthing]] | [[File:1853 farthing obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1853 farthing reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a rendering of Britannia]] | [[William Wyon]] (1826){{sfn|Lobel|p=610}} | 1838–1860{{sfn|Lobel|p=612}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Half farthing]] (1839 version) | [[File:1839 half farthing obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1839 half farthing reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with its value in words and date of striking]] | [[William Wyon]]{{sfn|Lobel|p=617}}{{sfn|Lobel|p=495}} | 1839{{sfn|Lobel|p=618}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Half farthing]] (second version) | [[File:1844 half farthing obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1844 half farthing reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with its value in words and date of striking]] | [[William Wyon]]{{sfn|Lobel|p=617}}{{sfn|Lobel|p=495}} | 1842–1868{{sfn|Lobel|p=618}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Third farthing]] | [[File:1844 third farthing obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1844 third farthing reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a rendering of Britannia]] | [[William Wyon]] (1827){{sfn|Lobel|p=619}} | 1844{{sfn|Lobel|p=620}} |- ! scope="row" | [[Quarter farthing]] | [[File:1868 Quarter Farthing obverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with a woman's head facing left]] | [[File:1868 Quarter Farthing reverse.jpg|frameless|center|alt=Copper coin with its value in words and date of striking]] | [[William Wyon]]{{sfn|Lobel|p=621}} | 1839–1868{{sfn|Lobel|p=621}} |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite journal|title=William Wyon's Una and the Lion|volume=136|issue=4|journal=[[The Numismatist]]|date=April 2023|pages=46–50|url=https://papyrus.exacteditions.com/issues/110274/page/47|url-access=subscription|last=Bair|first=Bob|ref={{sfnRef|Bair}} }} * {{cite journal|title=William Wyon—Master Engraver|pages=47–48|journal=Coin News|date=October 2013|volume=53|issue=10|first=Graham|last=Bennett|issn=0958-1391|ref={{sfnRef|Bennett}} }} * {{cite book|title=English Silver Coinage since 1649|last=Bull|first=Maurice|year=2015|edition=6th|publisher=Spink & Son|isbn=978-1-907427-50-3|origyear=1949|ref={{sfnRef|Bull}} }} * {{cite book | last1 = Celtel | first1 = André | last2 = Gullbekk | first2= Svein H. | title = The Sovereign and its Golden Antecedents | year = 2006 | publisher = Monetarius | name-list-style = amp | isbn = 978-82-996755-6-7 | ref={{sfnRef|Celtel & Gullbekk}} }} * {{cite book|last=Clancy|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Clancy (Royal Mint)|title=A History of the Sovereign: Chief Coin of the World|publisher=[[Royal Mint Museum]]|edition=2nd|year=2017|orig-year=2015|isbn=978-1-869917-00-5|ref={{sfnRef|Clancy}} }} * {{cite journal|last=Cobb|first=Lawrence W.|title=The Queen and William Wyon|journal=[[The Numismatist]]|date=March 1984|volume=97|issue=3|pages=493–499|url=https://papyrus.exacteditions.com/issues/43994/page/47|url-access=subscription|ref={{sfnRef|Cobb}}}} * {{cite book|last=Craig|first=John|title=The Mint: A History of the London Mint from A.D. 287 to 1948|publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]]|edition=paperback|year=2010|orig-year=1953|isbn=978-0-521-17077-2|ref={{sfnRef|Craig}} }} * {{cite book | last1 = Dyer | first1 = Graham P. | editor-last = Challis | editor-first = Christopher Edgar Challis | last2 = Gaspar | first2= Peter P. | contribution = Reform, the New Technology and Tower Hill | name-list-style = amp | title = A New History of the Royal Mint | year = 1992 | pages = 398–606 | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]] | isbn = 978-0-521-24026-0 | ref={{sfnRef|Dyer & Gaspar}} }} *{{cite journal|series=sixth|title=Edgar Boehm and the Jubilee Coinage|journal=[[British Numismatic Journal]]|volume=54|year=1984|pages=274–288|url=https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1984_BNJ_54_17.pdf|last1=Dyer|first1=Graham P.|last2=Stocker|first2=Mark|name-list-style = amp|ref={{sfnRef|Dyer & Stocker}}}} * {{cite book |last=Forrer |first=Leonard|author-link=Leonard Forrer |title=Biographical Dictionary of Medallists |publisher=Spink & Son|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Biographical_Dictionary_of_Medallists_M/9UZmAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=jean+baptiste+merlen&pg=PA43&printsec=frontcover|volume=IV |year=1909 |oclc=312571442|ref={{sfnRef|Forrer}}}} * {{cite journal|title='To Hanover' Counters|first=Roy Neville Playfair|last=Hawkins|journal=[[Royal Numismatic Society|The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society]]|volume=19|year=1959|pages=203–230|jstor=42662376|ref={{sfnRef|Hawkins}}}} *{{cite book|last=Jones|first=Mark|title=William Wyon|year=2025|publisher=[[Spink & Son]]|isbn=978-1-912667-79-6|ref={{sfnRef|Jones}}}} * {{cite journal|last=Kappen|first=Charles V.|issue=5|volume=63|url=https://papyrus.exacteditions.com/issues/47552/page/21|url-access=subscription|title=English Regal Copper Coinage|journal=[[The Numismatist]]|date=May 1950|pages=263–270|ref={{sfnRef|Kappen}}}} *{{cite journal|title=The Jubilee Coinage of 1887| name-list-style = amp|journal=[[British Numismatic Journal]]|volume=43|year=1973|pages=132–141|url=https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1973_BNJ_43_10.pdf|last=Lant|first=Jeffrey L.|ref={{sfnRef|Lant}}}} * {{cite book|editor-last=Lobel|editor-first=Richard|title=Coincraft's Standard Catalogue English & UK Coins 1066 to Date|edition=5th|year=1999|orig-year=1995|isbn=978-0-9526228-8-8|publisher=Standard Catalogue Publishers|ref={{sfnRef|Lobel}} }} * {{cite book|first=Michael A.|last=Marsh|title=The Gold Sovereign|publisher=Token Publishing|year=2017|edition=revised|orig-year=1980|isbn=978-1-908828-36-1|ref={{sfnRef|Marsh}}}} *{{cite book|last=Peck|first=C. Wilson|title=English Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum 1558–1958|publisher=Trustees of the British Museum|year=1960|sbn=7141-0813-8|oclc=906173180|ref={{sfnRef|Peck}} }} * {{cite book|last=Seaby|first=Peter|title=The Story of British Coinage|publisher= B. A. Seaby|isbn=0-900652-74-8|year=1985|ref={{sfnRef|Seaby}} }} * {{cite book|author=[[Spink & Son]]|publisher=[[Spink & Son]]|title=Coins of England and the United Kingdom, Predecimal Issues 2023|year=2022|edition=58th|isbn=978-1-912667-91-8|ref={{sfnRef|Spink predecimal}}}} * {{cite book|author=[[Spink & Son]]|publisher=[[Spink & Son]]|title=Coins of England and the United Kingdom, Decimal Issues 2023|year=2022|edition=9th|isbn=978-1-912667-93-2|ref={{sfnRef|Spink decimal}} }} {{British coinage}}
[[Category:Coins of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1838 establishments in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:1887 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]