Introduced in 1847 on the silver crown, the outstanding Gothic portrait was created by William Wyon, former Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint.  Queen Victoria was portrayed in a medieval style, representing the fanciful splendour of the era.  She faces left and wears an ornate crown and its tip cuts through the border of trefoil which arcs around the coins inner edge.  The inscription, which is placed below the arching trefoil, is in a medieval gothic style font in upper and lower case.

Queen Victoria wears a dress embroidered with roses representing England, thistles representing Scotland and Shamrocks which represent Ireland.  This was the first time since the coinage of Charles II that a monarch wore a crown on British coinage.