Catalog
1 Penny - Victoria Griqua Town Pattern
| Issuer | Griquatown |
|---|---|
| Year | 1890 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed 'bun' effigy of Queen Victoria facing left, her hair drawn up and tied in a bun with flowing wavy locks, rendered in high relief with fine detail. The portrait is unadorned, presenting the young queen in the classic style introduced by William Wyon. A continuous Latin legend encircles the effigy, separated from the raised rim by a fine border of beads. The field is smooth and mirror-like, consistent with pattern coin production. |
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| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | *** GRIQUA TOWN *** 1890 |
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| Additional information |
Griquatown, the settlement established by the Griqua people under Waterboer leadership in what is now the Northern Cape, had long since lost political autonomy by 1890 — the territory was annexed by the Cape Colony in 1871. This pattern was never adopted for circulation, making it a proposal without a patron: a coin struck for a polity that no longer controlled its own affairs.