The first Great Seal of Queen Victoria was prepared by Benjamin Wyon who continued to hold the position of Chief Engraver of Her Majesty's Seals until his death in 1858. An equestrian portrait of the Queen appears on the obverse with a young page leading the horse by the bridle. In the exergue is a trident head between two crossed sprays of oak, while the inscription, which is interspersed with roses, makes use of a noticeably elaborate form of lettering.

On the reverse is shown an enthroned portrait of the Queen accompanied by the seated figures of Justice to the left and Religion to the right. The throne, which stands on the top of three carpeted steps, is placed in front of a panelled screen supporting an ornate canopied roof. A niche appears on either side of the screen, one containing a man in long robes holding a book who is representative of the Law, the other portraying a Bishop with a pastoral staff to signify the Church.

After many years of service the first Seal eventually began to lose some of its definition, therefore a second Seal was adopted in 1860, which, for similar reasons, had to be replaced by the third Seal in 1878.