Great Britain 1663 guinea Fr-288
This specimen was lot 33594 in Heritage sale 3114 (New York, January 2024), where it sold for $20,400. The lot description[1] noted, "Great Britain: Charles II gold Guinea 1663 AU Details (Reverse Scratched) NGC. First bust, elephant below. Dating back to the year the introduction of the new milled coinage began, the selection at hand is a historically important piece. Per instructions from a Royal Warrant coins struck from gold provided by the Company of Royal Adventurers Trading should be distinguished by the addition of an elephant placed below the King's bust. The fields display vivid hues of tangerine and magenta. While a grade-modifying mark is observed on the reverse, the surfaces there remain lustrous and very attractive. Additional limited marks and wisps are noted for accuracy, nonetheless, this example is remarkably well-preserved and would be a trophy addition to an advanced cabinet of British milled gold." The first series of gold coins of Charles II reverted to the old practice of not dating them and come in denominations of unite, double crown and crown. When milled coinage was introduced in 1663, these denominations were retired in favor of the guinea, its fractions and multiples. The guinea would be the basis for all gold issues until the reform of 1817 and took its name from the source of the original gold, the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa. The first laureate bust was used only in 1663 with or without an elephant below the bust.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 8.35 g, 0.917 fine gold.
Catalog reference: KM 420.2, Fr-288, S-3339, Farey-0015.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, 2024 January 16 - 18 NYINC World Coins Signature Auction #3114, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2023.
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