The Queen´s Virtues - Victory 1 Oz 2021

The Queen´s Virtues - Victory

The 1 Oz (31.1 g) gold investment coin in 99.99% purest gold issued by the British Overseas Territory of St Helena for 2021 is the first coin in the "The Queen's Virtues" series.
This series is based on the allegorical figures of Queen Victoria's monument in front of Buckingham Palace embodying the virtues of the monarch (Victory, Truth, Charity, Justice, Courage, Constancy). The first coin represents Victory, which precedes the end of conflict and the celebration of peace.

The design for the reverse of the coin was created by the renowned Dutch medallist Elles Kloosterman. Respecting the original, he captured the likeness of the gilded bronze statue by Thomas Broch placed atop the Queen Victoria Memorial. It depicts a side view of the winged goddess of victory with her right arm raised and a palm leaf. The background is an elaborate geometric design. The rim of the coin contains the inscription 'VICTORY - THROUGH - HARMONY'.
The construction of the monumental Queen Victoria Memorial in London was initiated by Edward VII after the death of his mother in 1901. A designated parliamentary committee chose a site for the memorial at the end of the ceremonial route of the Mall, outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. Following a competitive process, the sculptor Thomas Brock was commissioned to design and build the memorial. The estimated cost was estimated at £200,000. Funds raised came from across the British Empire and from the public. The unveiling ceremony took place on 16 March 1911 in the presence of two of the Queen's grandsons - King George V and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. The memorial was not fully completed until 1924.
The symbolism of the memorial is dedicated to the qualities of Queen Victoria that made her great and beloved. At the top of the central pylon, a winged Victory stands on the globe as a gilded goddess with a palm branch. Below her are gilded personifications of Constancy with a compass pointing north and Courage holding a staff. A pair of eagles with outstretched wings in the lower tier symbolize the British Empire. The central sculpture immortalises a seated Queen Victoria looking out over the Mall. The adjacent statues depict Justice, Truth and Motherhood/Charity.
The monument is circular in plan and is defined by opposing fountains and staircases leading to a raised platform. Two bronze sculptures complementing the decoration of the fountains embody Sea Power and Military Power, Science and Art. The reliefs represent mythological figures of the watery realm, linking with a number of other sculptural references to Britain's naval superpower. Each side of the pair of staircases is guarded by four separate bronze sculptures of a man accompanied by a lion. A woman with an olive branch depicts Peace, a young man with a burning torch depicts Development, a peasant woman with a sickle and sheaf of grain depicts Agriculture, and a blacksmith with a hammer and scroll documents Production.

The obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by British sculptor Raphaels Maklouf. The background is an elaborate geometric design. The inscriptions in the description read "- £100 - ST. HELENA - QUEEN ELIZABETH II -", the year of issue "2021" and the weight and purity data "ONE OUNCE 9999 GOLD". A bead design surrounds the edge of the coin.

This product is part of the following product sets: