Great Britain 1678 1/2 guinea
This specimen was lot 1657 in Sincona sale 82 (Zürich, May 2023), where it sold for 1,000 CHF (about US$1,338 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "Charles II. 1660-1685. 1/2 Guinea 1678/7, London. Second laureate bust, 8 over 7 in date. Selten (Rare). NGC VF35. Second finest certified by NGC." When milled coinage was introduced in 1663, the unite, double crown and gold crown 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. This type is listed for 1672-84; no half guineas were struck with symbols in 1678.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 4.17 g, 0.917 fine gold; this specimen 4.08 g.
Catalog reference: KM 439.1, Spink 3348, Bull 298 (R). Fr-290.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 82, British Collection, Part 4, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2023.
Link to:
- 1677 half guinea, no symbol
- 1677 half guinea, elephant and castle
- 1678 silver halfgroat
- 1678 groat
- 1678 guinea, with elephant
- 1678 2 guineas, no symbol
- 1678 2 guineas, elephant and castle
- 1678 5 guineas, no symbol
- 1678 5 guineas, elephant and castle
- 1680 half guinea
- Coins and currency dated 1678
- return to coins of Great Britain