Great Britain 1684 5 guineas Fr-281

Sincona sale 82, lot 1670

This specimen was lot 1670 in Sincona sale 82 (Zürich, May 2023), where it sold for 34,000 CHF (about US$45,502 including buyer's fees). The catalog description^[1] noted, "Charles II. 1660-1685. 5 Guineas 1684/3(?), London. TRICESIMO SEXTO. Second laureate bust. NGC AU55. According to NGC, 4 has been struck over 3 in the date. Whether this is correct, or whether the die around the 4 simply is worn off and broken, cannot conclusively be determined." 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 was struck 1680-84. There is a similar type (KM 444.2) struck during the same years (including 1684) with an elephant and castle added below the king's bust; this marked gold obtained from Africa.

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: 41.75 g, 0.917 fine gold; this specimen 41.67 g.

Catalog reference: KM 444.1, Spink 3331. Bull 202. Fr-281.

Source:

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:

Great Britain 1684 5 guineas Fr-281

Navigation menu

Search