id: 144549 accession number: 1969.217 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1969.217 updated: 2023-01-11 02:42:21.825000 Five Pound Piece: Victoria (obverse); Una (reverse), 1839. Design by William Wyon (British, 1795–1851). Gold; diameter: 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Norweb Collection 1969.217 title: Five Pound Piece: Victoria (obverse); Una (reverse) title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1839 creation date earliest: 1839 creation date latest: 1839 current location: creditline: The Norweb Collection copyright: --- culture: England, Victoria, 1837-1901 technique: gold department: Medieval Art collection: MED - Numismatics type: Coins find spot: catalogue raisonne: --- CREATORS * William Wyon (British, 1795–1851) - designed by --- measurements: Diameter: 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.) state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: inscription: VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIARUM REGINA F: D: translation: remark: inscription: DIRIGE DEUS GRESSUS MEOS; MDCCCXXXIX; W. WYON R.A. translation: remark: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Year in Review: 1969 opening date: 1970-01-27T05:00:00 Year in Review: 1969. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS * English Gold Coins: Ancient to Modern Times. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1963). --- PROVENANCE Mrs. Emery May Holden Norweb (1895-1984), Cleveland, OH, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art date: footnotes: citations: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH date: 1969- footnotes: citations: --- fun fact: This five-pound piece was never for circulation but instead for presentation and collectors. digital description: wall description: This piece was struck by the Royal Mint from gold purchased for the purpose. The current gold coins, such as the sovereign, were struck from gold supplied by the Bank of England. The larger gold pieces have their origins in the five and two guinea pieces. There are several minor varieties of this fine and rare piece, designed by William Wyon, R.A., a member of the celebrated family, still in existence, that had such a long and profound influence on British coin design. By some, this piece was considered to be too medallic for coinage purposes. Queen Victoria, at this date a young woman of 20, is shown as Una, Truth, because truth is one: one of the principal characters in Spenser's Faerie Queene (1590–1611). She is leading the lion referred to in her adventures in Spenser's work. It is often also referred to as the British lion. This coin is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the English series, and the standard of workmanship and striking has never been improved upon. --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection. [Catalog. 1968.] page number: p. 74 url: --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1969.217/1969.217_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1969.217/1969.217_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1969.217/1969.217_full.tif