THIS well-worn token is another souvenir of Queen Victoria’s diamond jubilee that has been brought in by a Bugle reader (see Bugles 937 and 939 for other examples). Calvin Tonks of Kingswinford tells us that this token has been in his family’s possession for as long as anyone can remember.
The one side bears the date 1897 and four royal portraits, Victoria, Edward VII, George V and the infant Edward VIII, with the inscription “Four generations of the British royal family”. The reverse side has been all but worn smooth and the inscription has been obliterated, all that remains visible is a crown over three shields, which originally bore the arms of Victoria’s three kingdoms, England, Scotland and Ireland.
Inscription The inscription on this side read, “To commemorate the 60th year of Her Majesty’s reign, 1837-97”.
While the token was produced to mark Victoria’s diamond jubilee it also celebrates a unique moment in British royal history when the monarchs of four successive generations were alive simultaneously.
Edward VIII was born on 23rd June, 1894.
Our photograph shows the young Prince Edward, in his christening robe, in the arms of his greatgrandmother Victoria, while behind are his grandfather, the Prince of Wales, and his father, then Duke of York.
The lives of Victoria and her great-grandson spanned 153 years, Victoria being born in 1819 and Edward VIII dying in 1972.
However, their combined reigns cover only 99 years; Victoria acceded in 1837 and Edward VIII abdicated in 1936.
Bronze The commemorative medallion was produced by H. Grueber of 37 Snow Hill, London, in different metals, usually bronze but also in aluminium, and it appears to have been a popular souvenir at the time as many examples have survived. Those in the very best condition sell for around £25 today.
Incidentally, while there were four monarchs living simultaneously from 1894 to 1901, that is not the record. Between 1683 and 1685 there were seven British monarchs alive at the same time. They were Charles II (1630-1685), and his brother James II (1633- 1701), their nephew William III (1650-1702), and his wife Mary II (1662- 1694), with her sister Anne (1665-1714), and their second cousin George I (1660- 1727) and his son George II (1683-1760).
The number goes up to eight if you include Richard Cromwell (1626- 1712), the former Lord Protector.
