For the greater part of the nineteenth century the engraving of Great Seals was entrusted to successive members of the famous Wyon family. Work on the fourth Seal of Queen Victoria, however, was carried out at Tower Hill by Royal Mint engraver George William De Saulles who had engraved the Queen's final coin portrait and later prepared the coinage portrait of Edward VII.

On the obverse the Queen is wearing a richly embroidered robe and seated upon a throne. A figure of St George bearing a lance with pennon appears to the left with St Michael resting on his sheathed sword to the right. For the first time on the Seal, the letters IND IMP appeared in the inscription in reference to the Queen's title, Empress of India.

An equestrian portrait appears on the reverse with a shield of the Royal Arms encircled with the motto of the Order of the Garter, HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE, 'Evil to him who evil thinks'. The royal motto DIEU ET MON DROIT, 'God and My Right', is placed on a scroll on either side of which is depicted a rose, shamrock and thistle, while a warship and sailing vessel in the distance suggest the naval strength and trade of the United Kingdom.