Great Britain 1773 2 guineas
This specimen was lot 1299 in Sincona sale 79 (Zürich, October 2022), where it sold for 140,000 CHF (about US$167,790 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN | Königreich, George III. 1760-1820. Pattern 2 Guineas 1773, London. Proof. By John Tanner. Plain edge. Very rare. NGC PF63. Magnificent condition." No regular issue five guineas or two guineas were struck after 1753, during the reign of George II. Two and five guineas were made for George III but never got past the pattern stage. By this time, the mint had ceased to produce anything but gold coins and Maundy sets, causing a grave shortage of circulating media. Guineas were superseded by sovereigns during the reform of 1817.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 16.70 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 17.27 g.
Catalog reference: KM Pn51, Spink 3724, WR. 80, Bull 668, Fr-351.
- 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]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 79, British Collection, Part 3, Zürich: SINCONA AG, 2022.
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