Margaret of Anjou Great Seal 19th C. Museum Electrotype 165mm Medieval Royal Large museum electrotype cast of the Great Seal of Queen Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482), Queen of England and central figure of the Wars of the Roses. This is a 19th century study reproduction made for academic and institutional collections in the UK, cast in a tin/white metal alloy. These electrotypes were produced by museums such as the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum for scholarly reference and display. The obverse shows Queen Margaret on horseback, holding a scepter, accompanied by a page. Gothic Latin legend: MARGARETA DEI GRACIA REGINA ANGLIE FRANCIE ET DOMINA HIBERNIE ("Margaret, by the Grace of God Queen of England, of France, and Lady of Ireland") Details: • Diameter: 165 mm • Weight: 1354 g • Material: Tin/white metal (19th c. museum electrotype) • Reverse: Plain, with old paper label and mounting hook from historical collection • Condition: Excellent patina of age, minor edge wear consistent with period This is not a modern reproduction. It is a genuine 19th-century museum study seal, historically significant and ideal for collectors of medieval royal symbolism, English history, or the Wars of the Roses. Free worldwide shipping from Italy. Secure packaging. Full tracking included. Queen Margaret of Anjou (1430–1482) is one of the most compelling and formidable figures of late medieval Europe. Born into the powerful House of Valois-Angers, she was married to King Henry VI of England at the age of fifteen, not long after the end of the Hundred Years’ War. What was meant to be a dynastic union of diplomacy would instead place her at the center of one of the most intense and dramatic power struggles in English history: the Wars of the Roses. Henry VI suffered from extended periods of mental collapse and political incapacity, leaving the throne without active leadership. In this vacuum, Margaret did something almost unheard of for a queen consort in the 15th century — she ruled. She negotiated treaties, commanded armies, raised loyalist forces, secured funding and loyalty through both diplomacy and intimidation, and held together the faction of the House of Lancaster at a time when it could easily have dissolved. To her supporters, she was a guardian of rightful monarchy and the very embodiment of dynastic legitimacy. To her enemies, she was a foreign interloper and a relentless political strategist. But to history, she remains The Warrior Queen — a ruler who wielded authority in her own name. The Great Seal represented here was the official emblem of her authority. Whenever laws were ratified, proclamations issued, or alliances confirmed, it was this seal that made them real. More than decoration, it was a declaration of sovereignty. In medieval government, kings spoke through seals — and this one is Margaret’s voice. This 19th century museum electrotype reproduction was created to preserve and study the imagery of the original medieval matrix housed in British royal archives. These reproductions were produced primarily for: • university history departments, • major British museums, • antiquarian libraries, • and collectors of state heraldic imagery. Unlike modern replicas, these electrotypes were made by taking direct impressions of the authentic original seal matrix, ensuring precision of line, inscription, and relief. Their historical purpose was not decoration — but scholarship. Today, pieces like this are treasured by collectors because they offer: • A tangible link to the political drama and military conflict of the Wars of the Roses • Direct association with one of the most powerful female rulers of the Middle Ages • The ability to hold, study, and display an emblem once reserved for monarchs This is not merely an artifact to own — it is a narrative to carry, a conversation piece with depth, significance, and presence. A seal of power, survival, legitimacy, and defiance. A historical study electrotype produced circa 1850–1900, cast in tin/lead alloy (as confirmed by the weight). The completely plain reverse, the small wall-mounting hook, and the old handwritten label are typical features of British museum study casts, especially those originating from: • British Museum Reproductions • South Kensington Museum (Victoria & Albert Museum) • Society of Antiquaries of London