Victorian 50th Jubilee Brooch
This brooch was made to comemmorate a specific event, a significant milestone in queen Victoria's record-setting reign: her golden jubilee. Whilst sitting on the English throne for 50 year is, admittedly, an impressive feat managed only by only five people to date - Edward III, Henry III, George III, Victoria, and Elizabeth II (with an honourable mention going out to James VI of Scotland [also James I of England] who sat on the Scottish throne for 57 years, 246 days) - there have been long reigning monarchs throughout history who, arguably, brought much more good into the world than any of the aforementioned.
And a more interesting use of the word jubilee is, perhaps, in reference to a Debt Jubilee. A concept that stretches back the the beginning of human history, to the civilisations of the 'fertile crescent', to ancient Mesopotamia and Hammurabi of Babylon (who also reigned for [almost] half a century*):
"Hammurabi began his 42-year reign as “king” of Babylon (located in present-day Iraq), in 1792 BC. What most history books fail to mention is that, like other governors of the City-State of Mesopotamia, Hammurabi proclaimed the official cancellation of citizens’ debts owed to the government, high-ranking officials, and dignitaries. The so-called Hammurabi Code is thought to date back to 1762 BC. Its epilogue proclaims that “the powerful may not oppress the weak; the law must protect widows and orphans (…) in order to bring justice to the oppressed”. The many ancient documents deciphered from cuneiform script have enabled historians to establish beyond any doubt that four general cancellations took place during Hammurabi’s reign, in 1792, 1780, 1771, and 1762 BC." - [Source]
"Such a jubilee was proposed as a solution to debt incurred or anticipated during the COVID-19 recession. The American economist Michael Hudson is a proponent of a debt jubilee, writing in a Washington Post op-ed that it was an alternative to a depression. Similarly, anthropologist David Graeber pointed to kings' historical use of debt jubilees during regime changes to suggest that a debt jubilee would have been an appropriate response to the 2008 financial crisis." - Wikipedia
[Trigger warning: If you're a fan of the billionaire elite - Bezos, Zuckerburg, twitter guy etc. - then you'll probably take issue with this next part...]
In an age where economic decisions are designed to concentrate wealth into the hands of a select few white men, creating debt-crisis after debt-crisis at the expense of ordinary working people (and their governments who are, admittedly, almost wholly responsible), the concept of a debt jubilee is certainly is food for thought. I wonder what queen Victoria herself would have made of the idea, having presided over some horrific socio-economic conditions at home (not to mention what was going on abroad). It seems to me that generation after generation of world leaders lack the imagination, the will, or perhaps just the nerve, to try out anything so radical (or is it actually rather conservative?) in response to widening inequality and yet another looming debit-crisis. Or perhaps they're not working in the interests of the people they're sworn-in to serve after all. Imagine.
*I realise I'm fudging that slightly...
Era: Victorian, 1886
Size: 3.2cm by 2.4cm
Hallmarks: English, Birmingham, Sterling Silver, 1886, H.C Maker’s Mark
Condition: Condition: Fair, some loss to the enamel and a strong antique patina
Full appraisal document provided with each item.
This includes a valuation for insurance purposes, item specifics, date, and origins (where applicable).
Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain).
Shipping
UPS Express shipping is free of charge on international orders over £300 and it's carbon offset
Tracked and insured with signature on delivery
RM Special Delivery (UK domestic)
Buying a Gift?
Leave a note at checkout and we'll include a handwritten note to the recipient. Just tell us what you'd like to say
Resizing
Ring sizing is available on most rings
£55 flat fee
Resizing takes 7-14 days
Leave a note at checkout with your desired size
Note: sizing may remove some of the patina (although we take every care to reduce this where possible)
Layaway
A 25% deposit will be taken to secure the item. The remaining balance will be settled in 90 days. You can pay installments weekly, monthly, or the full balance at the end - whatever works.
Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved and often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
More Questions?
Get in touch... There's a live chat at the bottom right of the page.
info@lostowl.com