DATE: Victorian, c.1870

Wonderful Victorian brooch formed from silver and enamel in the likeness of a halfpenny rose red postage stamp featuring the head of Queen Victoria. These stamps were produced between 1870 and 1880 following a reduction in the postal rate for postcards and newspapers, notable for being the smallest UK postage stamp ever issued (at 17.5 x 14mm - this brooch is a little larger than the real thing would have been). It's anyone's guess as to why someone decided to commission such a brooch... perhaps a love affair that blossomed through the medium of post cards? It's crafted in sterling silver, and dates from the 1870s. 

MEASUREMENTS

22.8 x 17.5mm

WEIGHT

5.5g

MARKS

No marks present, tests as sterling silver

CONDITION

Very good, minor enamel loss at one corner