I imagine this to be a coin set in a mount on a ring, but the description is incomplete.
If it is a coin it is probably a sovereign.
Modified coins have no collector value.
Check your coin again. Queen Victoria died in 1901.
Such a coin does not exist. Queen Victoria died in 1901. The legend "Victoria-dei-gra-britt-regina-fid-def-ind-imp" does not help identify a coin. It could appear on any British or British Empire coin issued from 1838 to 1901. You need to describe the design on the coin, the metal it appears to be made from and the diameter. Coins dated 1951 would have George VI on them. If you do indeed have a Queen Victoria "coin" with 1951 on it, it may well be a souvenir token commemorating the 50th anniversary of her death.
Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire from 1837 until her death in 1901. The legend "VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP" is mostly abbreviated from Latin. The literal definition is - "Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India". This expression and variations of it appear on the obverse of all pre-decimal coins of most British Empire/Commonwealth countries. The 1899 British Penny is not rare, there were over 26 million minted.
The 1898 Indian Head cent is considered common. Average circulated coins are $1.00-$3.00.
Well people say nothing but I've been looking around and in outstanding condition 10 English pounds, or 7 dollars..
There were no Australian (or Western Australian) Pennies minted prior to 1911. An image of Queen Victoria and the inscription VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP (Queen Victoria, by the Grace of God, Queen of the British Territories, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India) or similar, would have appeared on the obverse of any official British coin minted in 1896. What you may have is a Traders token or a medallion. The reverse may have a business name and address on it or, some sort of commemorative inscription.
(Victoria) Fid Def Britt Reg and Regina Fid Def Britanniarum describes the title of the monarch in abbreviated Latin, in this case, Queen Victoria. It tells us nothing about the coin other than it is British or from one of the many British Empire/Commonwealth countries or Colonies. The phrase "VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP" is mostly abbreviated from Latin. The literal definition is - "Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India". British coins issued in 1887 were - Five Pounds - gold (non-circulating) Two Pounds - gold (non-circulating) Sovereign - gold (One Pound) Half-Sovereign - gold (Ten Shillings) Crown - silver (Five Shillings) Double-Florin - silver (Four Shillings) Halfcrown - silver (Two Shillings and Sixpence) Florin - silver (Two Shilling) Shilling - silver (Twelve Pence) Sixpence - silver Threepence - silver Penny - bronze Halfpenny - bronze Farthing - bronze
"Victoria dei gra britt regina fid def ind imp" appears in one form or another on all British coins issued during Queen Victorias reign. Sometimes half of the legend appears on the reverse of the coin. The "IND IMP" was added to coins around 1893 when India became part of the British Empire. What does your coin appear to be made from? Are there any dates on it? What is the diameter of the coin? What are the three initials? Does the side with the initials have anything on it other than the initials? It is possible that your coin is a military medal, a medallion or a token.
You are the second person to ask about an Australian coin that, in theory, should not exist. Can you provide any more detail about your coin?
Well, you didn't specify the denomination, but let me tell you what the legends mean. 1896 is obviously the date on the coin, Victoria is who is depicted on the front of the coin. Dei Gratia means by the grace of god. Britt Regina means queen of the British. Fid def means defender of the faith, and Ind Imp means Empress of India. Put these together and you get part of Queen Victoria's royal title, Victoria, by the grace of God, queen of Britain, defender of the faith and empress of India. As for the mintmark M, this mintmark would only appear on the gold coins, the sovereign and the half sovereign for this date. The mintmark would be above the date on the reverse between the 8 and 9 on the ground with St. George slaying the dragon. This mintmark means the coin was minted in Melborne.
IND IMP was part of a much larger title used by British Monarchs. It is abbreviated Latin and means Emperor (or Empress) of India. IND IMP (India Imperator) was used on British and British Empire/Commonwealth coins from about 1893 when India became part of the British Empire, until 1948 when India became independent. Depending on who was king or queen at the time and which particular coin it appeared on, the legend may have appeared as - "VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP" "EDWARDVS VII DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP" "GEORGVS V DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP" "GEORGVS VI DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP"
No, it is not an unusual inscription. It is a variant of the same thing, but it is unusual on a Threepence. The smaller coins do not have the full inscription due to limitations of space. The phrase "VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP" is mostly abbreviated from Latin. The literal definition is - "Victoria by the Grace of God, Queen of the British territories, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India".