Great Britain 1717 5 guineas
This specimen was lot 1376 in Goldberg sale 128 (Los Angeles, June 2022), where it sold for $432,000. The catalog description[1] noted, "Great Britain. 5 Guineas, 1717. George I, 1714-1727. Obverse: Laureate head right. Reverse: Crowned cruciform shields, scepters in angles. Inverted 'D' on edge. Regnal year (TERTIO) on edge in raised letters. An exceptionally choice-looking piece with a sharp strike showing nearly complete hair detail, surfaces that glitter with proof-like fields on both sides. Extremely rare in this grade. among the finest known examples of this impressive, large gold type. Pop 1; Finest example graded by both PCGS and NGC. NGC graded MS-63. George I was born in 1660 and his parents were the Elector of Hanover and Sophia, the granddaughter of King James I of England (James VI of Scotland). He came to the English throne because Parliament preferred him to James Edward Stuart - the half-b[r]other of Queen Anne. He could not however speak English and spent over half his reign in Germany. Ironically, he kept England at peace for the whole of his reign." This type was issued 1716-20 and 1726 and all dates are scarce. None of the British five guineas of the eighteenth century are cheap.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 41.75 g, 0.917 fine gold, 1.230 troy oz AGW.
Catalog reference: S.3626; Fr-325; KM-547.
- 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.
- Michael, Thomas, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
- 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]Goldberg, Ira, Larry Goldberg, Stephen Harvey and Vera Liu, Goldberg Sale 128: the Pre-Long Beach Auction, Los Angeles: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles, 2022.
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