Florin uit Engeland van Victoria, 1860 1860

This Florin from England of Victoria, was anonymously minted in 1860. This coin presents a profile of Queen Victoria, a figure whose reign coincided with significant social and political shifts in British society, including the expansion of the British Empire. The imagery on this coin evokes questions about power, identity, and representation. During Victoria's reign, the role of women in public life was highly circumscribed, yet here she is, a woman whose image becomes currency, literally. How might we reconcile the rigid social norms that constrained women's lives with Victoria's prominent position as head of state? Consider also, how the image of Queen Victoria circulated widely through various media, shaping perceptions of British identity both at home and abroad. What does it mean to see a person's likeness stamped onto something as ubiquitous as currency, transforming the individual into a symbol of state? This coin acts as a miniature stage for exploring themes of gender, power, and representation in the Victorian era.