Jubilee head penny

The Jubilee coinage of Queen Victoria was introduced in the summer of 1887 but the change in designs extended only to the gold and silver coins, the bronze coinage continuing to bear the same fondly regarded Bun Head effigy of Victoria. That there should be a Jubilee Head pattern penny of 1887 in the Mint collection is therefore of some interest.

One explanation is that the Mint simply ran out of time. A firm deadline had been set for the issue of the new coins, in June 1887 and, given the enormous amount of work that attended the preparation of tools for all the gold and silver denominations, it is not surprising that the Mint had to abandon any thought of also including bronze. What remains of the possibility is this penny, a beautifully struck piece, whatever we may think of the portrait.