REVIEW: THE PLATINUM JUBILEE BANKNOTE AUCTION 31 MAY

Of the many portraits commissioned of Her Majesty The Queen over the years, none is more celebrated than that created in 1955 by the Italian artist Pietro Annigoni.

Of the many portraits commissioned for Her Majesty The Queen over the years, none is more celebrated than that created in 1955 by the Italian artist Pietro Annigoni.
It was commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers and is displayed at their livery hall, Fishmongers’ Hall, adjacent to London Bridge.

Annigoni’s 1969 portrait of The Queen hangs in the National Gallery.

Such was the impact of Annigoni’s 1955 depiction, with Her Majesty standing poised, proud and imperial in her Garter robes, that it became an instant hit with the public, despite being criticised by some in authority as too romanticised.

Its impact, Annigoni became much sought-after by heads of state and other international figures, and he went on to paint the portraits of US Presidents John F Kennedy and Lyndon B Johnson, Pope John XXIII, the Shah of Iran, Prince Philip and Princess Margaret.

His 1955 portrait of The Queen went on to be used for the Five Rupee note of the Bank of Mauritius, the Fiji one dollar note, as well as on other notes.
“This masterful portrait captures The Queen’s majesty perfectly and so the signed vignette provides the ideal capstone to this landmark auction celebrating her Platinum Jubilee,” says Noonans’ Head of Banknotes Andrew Pattison.

The framed vignette of the portrait, hand signed and approved by the artist himself, was offered framed and in excellent condition in Noonans’ 31 May Platinum Jubilee Banknote Auction with an estimate of £400-£500. It proved to be a popular highlight, with the hammer falling at £1,300.