Material: Bronze (95% copper, 4% tin, 1% zinc)
Diameter: 30.8 mm
Mint / Mintmark: Royal Mint, London, (no mintmark)
Obverse: Veiled (“Old Head”) bust of Queen Victoria facing left; legend VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP
Reverse: Seated Britannia facing right, holding trident and shield; legend ONE PENNY above, date 1901 below
Notes:
The 1901 bronze penny represents the final issue of Queen Victoria’s long-running penny series and the closing chapter of her reign. Although Edward VII ascended the throne in January 1901, his portrait did not appear on circulating coinage until 1902, making this the last circulating penny to bear Victoria’s effigy. The obverse carries the Veiled Head portrait introduced in 1893, designed by Thomas Brock, depicting the queen in advanced age, crowned and veiled, with her full imperial titles reflecting Britain’s global authority at the height of empire. The reverse retains the enduring seated Britannia design, a motif deeply embedded in British numismatic tradition since the 17th century. Coins dated 1901 circulated at a moment of transition, between centuries and between monarchs. Examples such as this one stand as tangible artifacts of the final year of the Victorian era, bridging the long 19th century and the Edwardian age that followed.