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:			

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culture:	England, Victoria, 1837-1901
technique:	gold
department:	Medieval Art
collection:	MED - Numismatics
type:		Coins
find spot:	
catalogue raisonne: 

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CREATORS

* William Wyon (British, 1795–1851)  - designed by

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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:		

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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

	title:		Year in Review: 1969
	opening date:   1970-01-27T05:00:00
	<i>Year in Review: 1969</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970).

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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS

* <em>English Gold Coins: Ancient to Modern Times</em>. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1963).

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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: 	


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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 <em>one</em>: one of the principal characters in Spenser's <em>Faerie Queene </em>(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.
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RELATED WORKS

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CITATIONS

	Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. <em>English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection</em>. [Catalog. 1968.]
	page number: 	p. 74
	url:		

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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