HISTORY OF JUBILEE SOUVENIRS

Commemorative souvenirs have been a popular way of marking Royal events such as Jubilees for the last three centuries. The earliest known English commemorative items date from the Restoration of Charles II as king in 1660, followed by his Coronation in 1661 and wedding in 1662. The arrival of new manufacturing methods in the last 250 years made such items more affordable by the general public.

Popular items which have been used to commemorate Jubilees past and present include coins, stamps and ceramics.

Special issue coins were first used to mark a Royal Jubilee with the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The majority of jubilee coins have been issued in crown size (the crown was equal in value to 5 shillings), because the size of the coin allows more detail. Commemorative coins are not intended for general use and are almost always collected in uncirculated mint condition. For The Queen's Silver Jubilee a special 25-pence coin was issued, designed by Andrew Machin. On the obverse it shows The Queen on horseback, and on the reverse, the coronation ampulla and anointing spoon with a floral decoration around. A total of 473,000 of these coins were issued in sterling silver; a further 37,453,000 were issued in copper-nickel.

The first stamps associated with a Royal event were those issued in 1887, the year of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, although they were not intended as commemorative issues. Specific Jubilee sets of stamps were first issued in 1935 for George V's Jubilee, including issues in the dominions, including Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa. Stamps were also issued for The Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, amounting to over 200 stamps in the UK, Crown dependencies and Commonwealth countries.

Ceramics have also proved popular for Jubilee souvenirs. Commemorative items survive in significant numbers from the reign of George III onwards, taking advantage of industrialized production methods such as transfer prints to produce affordable items including mugs, bowls , plaques, jugs and urns.

As well as these traditional items, many imaginative Jubilee pieces have been produced over the years. Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, for example, was celebrated with souvenir items including teapots, butter dishes, mirrors, handkerchiefs, woven silk pictures and even wallpaper and pipes. For The Queen's Silver Jubilee items ranged from plates, money boxes, jugs and vases to socks, shopping bags, jigsaw puzzles and t-shirts.

Of course, not all Jubilee souvenirs have high commercial value, especially those produced in large numbers - it is the meaning and memories associated with the souvenirs which gives them their value.