Matchbox in ebonite in memory of Queen Victoria of England

Height 5 cm.

The box is in good condition, with very few marks and no chips. Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, making her one of the longest-serving monarchs on the English throne. Today, she is only surpassed by the current Queen Elizabeth II. The front of the matchbox is decorated with a portrait of Queen Victoria and a ribbon that says "In memoriam". This indicates that the box was made after her death in 1901. The back is decorated with the intertwined letters "VR", a thistle, a clover and two roses. "VR" is the Latin name for Queen Victoria ("Regina Victoria"). The thistle represents Scotland and the clover represents Ireland. The two roses represent England or the two warring parties during the English Civil War in the 15th century. Lancaster's rose was red and York's was white. The box is made of vulcanized rubber, also called ebonite.