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Narrow date 1888 Queen Victoria silver Crown coins (S 3921, Bull 2587, ESC 298). 1888 is the lowest mintage year of the short Jubilee Head Crown issue, with just 131,899 of these sterling silver coins struck at the Royal Mint, then based on Tower Hill. There are two major variants known for this date, distinguished by the spacing of the date on the reverse, below Benedetto Pistrucci's classic Saint George and the dragon design. On this issue, the numerals of the date (1888) appear close together with little space between them. The St George design is paired with a short-lived effigy of Queen Victoria by Joseph Edgar Boehm, known as the Jubilee Hea,d since it was introduced in Victoria's Golden Jubilee year.
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Joseph Edgar Boehm's Jubilee Head portrait of Queen Victoria appears on the obverse of these 1888-dated coins, showing Victoria wearing the Small Diamond Crown and a long lace veil. The inscription reads 'VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D:'.
The reverse of these Victorian coins features the image of Saint George on a rearing horse, pointing his sword at a winged dragon. The date which appears below is narrowly spaced with the numerals close together. The initials 'B.P.' are shown to the right for the artist, Benedetto Pistrucci.
In the Victorian period, Crowns were made from solid .925 sterling silver. These large British coins measure 38.6 millimetres from milled edge to milled edge and weigh approximately 28.28 grams.
Just 131,899 silver Crowns were struck in 1888 making this the lowest mintage year in the Golden Jubilee Crown series. This number includes both the narrow date and wide date 1888 Crown variants.
An 1888 narrow date is an essential addition to any collection of British Crown coins. Collectors appreciate the low mintage figures and stunning designs on these coins, with scarce pieces featuring the Jubilee Head proving particularly popular.
Browse the range: Historic British Crown Coins
