1893-1901 Queen Victoria Veil Head Gold Bullion Half Sovereigns - Mixed Dates

Product Description:

         The Veiled head type sovereigns, as they are most commonly known, are the last sovereigns to feature a portrait of Queen Victoria and were produced from 1893 until her death in 1901. Designed by Thomas Brock, the Veiled Head portrait depicts an ageing Queen Victoria in her 70s, dressed in her royal attire and with her trademark veil. The Queen often wore a veil later in life - it is said to symbolise her state of mourning after the death of her consort Prince Albert (1819 - 1861). The Queen would mourn him for the remainder of her life and would dress in black and wear a veil to commemorate him. Prince Albert passed away shortly after visiting Ireland to reign in their unruly son, as the then Prince of Wales was rumoured to have slept with an actress. Upon his return Prince Albert would pass away of Typhoid Fever. Queen Victoria would go on to blame the Prince of Wales for her beloved husband’s death or as she is quoted to have said "killed by that dreadful business". After Prince Albert's death she avoided most public appearances and was so dubbed "the widow of Windsor".

        Queen Victoria is an astonishing figure who oversaw the greatest rise of wealth and prestige within the British Empire, she was given the nickname "the grandmother of Europe" as her children would marry into various noble families across the continent. Her time as Queen was a relatively peaceful one when compared to some of her other European counterparts. She is second longest reigning British monarch in history to this day – the only other monarch to surpass this is another female monarch, the current Queen Elizabeth II. Many European monarchs would claim fame and fortune, but would pale in comparison to the fame and historical significance that Queen Victoria achieved. After all, it's quite a feat to have an entire era in modern history named after you, “The Victorian Era”, and even more so her fame is a testament to her triumphs as a female monarch within a heavily male-dominated society.