£120.00
1891 Queen Victoria Bronze Penny, featuring the “Bun Head” or “Young Head” portrait by William Wyon on the obverse, and Britannia seated with shield and trident on the reverse. A late Victorian penny, Spink 3954.
1891 Queen Victoria Bronze Penny – Bun Head (Young Head), S.3954
This penny is part of the Victorian Bun Head series, struck during the later years of Queen Victoria’s reign. The design is one of the most familiar in British numismatics and was in circulation for decades, making it a cornerstone of late 19th-century coinage.
The obverse features the “Young Head” portrait of Queen Victoria, designed by William Wyon, showing the Queen with a laurel wreath in her hair, styled in a bun at the back. The Latin legend reads: VICTORIA D:G: BRITT: REG: F:D: (“Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the Britains, Defender of the Faith”).
The reverse depicts Britannia seated facing right, holding a trident and shield, with a lighthouse to the left and a ship to the right in the background. Below appears the date, 1891.
Specifications:
Date: 1891
Monarch: Queen Victoria
Denomination: Penny
Metal: Bronze
Weight: 9.4 g (approx.)
Diameter: 30.8 mm (approx.)
Edge: Plain
Mint: Royal Mint, London
Obverse: Young Head (Bun Head) portrait of Queen Victoria by William Wyon
Reverse: Britannia seated with shield and trident, date below
Mintage: c. 10.7 million
Reference: Spink 3934
A popular Victorian bronze penny, the 1891 issue remains a highly collectable type, especially appealing to collectors of the Bun Head series and late 19th-century British coinage.
