Very Rare: fewer than 100,000 minted.
1 Penny - Victoria 2nd portrait Maundy issues (1888–1892)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1888–1892 |
| Denomination | 1 Penny |
| Mintage | 14,000 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 0.470g · 0.0140 t oz |
| Diameter | 11.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Joseph Edgar Boehm, Leonard Charles Wyon |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Crowned and veiled portrait ('Jubilee Head') of Queen Victoria left, legend around.
Crowned denomination divides date within oak wreath.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1888 1 Penny - Victoria – Maundy issues
The 1888 1 Penny - Victoria – Maundy issues is a collector 1 penny coin issued from 1888 to 1892 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 0.47g and measures 11mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination divides date within oak wreath.
A mintage of 14,000 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1888 1 Penny - Victoria – Maundy issues worth?
No verified sale of the 1888 1 Penny - Victoria – Maundy issues has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
Why does the Jubilee Head Maundy penny start in 1888?
Boehm's portrait reached the gold and silver coins in June 1887, after that year's Royal Maundy had already taken place. Wikipedia and the Royal Mint Museum's 1906 catalogue both record that the first Maundy coins with the new portrait are dated 1888, so 1887 Maundy coins still carry the Young Head.
How many Jubilee Head Maundy pennies were made?
CoinVarieties, quoting the Krause catalogue, gives 13,000 for 1890 and 16,000 for 1892. Figures for 1888, 1889 and 1891 were not confirmed. Because Maundy sets were bought and kept as souvenirs, survivors are plentiful for such small numbers.
Is a Victorian Maundy penny legal tender?
Yes. Maundy money remains legal tender, and Wikipedia notes that at decimalisation all Maundy pieces were deemed to be denominated in new pence, so this penny now has a face value of 1p. It does not circulate because of its silver content and collector interest.
Who designed the Jubilee Head Maundy penny?
Joseph Edgar Boehm modelled the crowned and veiled portrait, which Leonard Charles Wyon engraved. The reverse is Jean Baptiste Merlen's crowned 1 in an oak wreath, introduced in 1822, with the crown redrawn by Wyon in 1888.
How do I identify the 1888 1 Penny - Victoria – Maundy issues?
Check the weight 0.47g and diameter 11mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The penny is the smallest of the four silver coins given at the Royal Maundy, the service held on the day before Good Friday. Tony Clayton notes that the number of recipients, and the pence each receives, match the monarch's age. The Royal Mint Museum explains that the coins have been struck in sterling silver since 1670 in denominations of one, two, three and four pence.
When Boehm's Jubilee portrait was introduced in 1887, the Maundy coins kept the old head for that year because the ceremony had already taken place. The Royal Mint Museum's 1906 catalogue confirms that the first Maundy money of the new issue is dated 1888, and the type ran to 1892. CoinVarieties, quoting Krause, gives 13,000 pennies for 1890 and 16,000 for 1892. Wikipedia notes that the service moved from the Chapel Royal, Whitehall, to Westminster Abbey after 1890 by the Queen's order.
The obverse carries Joseph Edgar Boehm's crowned and veiled bust, engraved by Leonard Charles Wyon, with the legend VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REGINA F: D:. The reverse shows a crowned figure 1 within an oak wreath, dividing the date. This is Jean Baptiste Merlen's design of 1822, and Wikipedia records that Wyon altered the crown in 1888, the form still in use. The coin is 0.925 silver and weighs 0.47 g.
Collecting notes
Tony Clayton notes that Victorian Maundy sets could be ordered through a bank by anyone, which is why they are much easier to find than post-1908 sets. Wikipedia adds that in the 19th century far more pieces were struck than the ceremony needed. Maundy pennies are usually collected in four-coin sets, often still in their cases. Clayton observes that Maundy coins after 1820 rarely turn up below very fine, so a heavily worn piece is unusual. The Jubilee Head Maundy twopence is the next value up.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Jubilee coinage, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint, Vol. I Part I (W. J. Hocking, 1906), pp. 178 and 186 to 187, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1890 penny KM-770 and 1892 penny KM-770, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
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