William Wyon is one of history’s great coin designers, a reputation forever linked to the reign of Queen Victoria. His 1838 ‘Young Head’ portrait was so well liked by Victoria that it graced the coins of her reign for nearly 50 years. His 1839 Una & the Lion, now regarded as one of the most beautiful coins ever produced, used characters from Spenser’s The Faerie Queene to represent the young Queen Victoria and the powerful nation under her control.

Then, in 1846, Wyon created a new portrait for a silver crown celebrating the 10th anniversary of Victoria becoming Queen; it became known as the ‘Gothic Crown’.