The commemoration medals struck to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee were eagerly bought up by all classes of Her Majesty’s subjects. They were, perhaps, the most artistic things ever issued from the Royal Mint, though the small size of some of them interfered sadly with the effect of the design. |The Jubilee Medals.| The prices were as follows:—Large gold, £13; small gold, £2; large silver, 10s.; small silver, 1s.; and large bronze, 4s. It was a happy idea to give on the reverse of the medals the Queen’s head, by W. Wyon, as it appeared on the coinage for 1837 to 1887. The choice of the motto—“Longitudo dierum in dextera ejus et in sinistra gloria”—could not have been bettered if the whole of literature had been searched through. The head, by Brock, on the obverse, first used in 1892, is undoubtedly the most satisfactory likeness of the Queen that has appeared on the coinage. In the gold medals the metal was unpolished, and the large silver ones were covered with a thin coating of platinum, the burnished appearance of newly-stamped coinage being thus avoided, much to the advantage of the design. In both cases the metal was of the purest quality, and it is interesting to note that there was actually £12 15s. worth of gold in the £13 medal.
Innumerable publications relating to the Jubilee were issued from the Press. The Illustrated London News’ special number was a triumph of colour-printing; the “Golden Number” of the London Daily Mail was, as its name indicates, printed entirely in gold, and found a ready sale at 6d. a copy.
THE THRONE ROOM, BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
From a Photograph] [by H. N. King.
From a Photograph] [by H. N. King.
THE WHITE DRAWING ROOM, BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
From a Photograph] [by Lafayette.
THE RIGHT HON. H. ESCOMBE, Q.C.,