Great Britain 1703 5 guineas - Revision history

LatinKing2020: Text replacement - "* Michael, Thomas, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016. * 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." to "* 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, ''Stan...

2026-01-03T02:38:42Z

Text replacement - "* Michael, Thomas, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016. * 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." to "* 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, ''Stan...

LatinKing2020: added link

2022-06-08T01:15:16Z

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LatinKing2020: Created page with "Heritage sale 3096, lot 30309 thumb This specimen was lot 30309 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX,..."

2021-05-05T22:50:53Z

Created page with "300px|thumb|Heritage sale 3096, lot 30309 300px|thumb This specimen was lot 30309 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX,..."

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[[Image:H3096-30309o.jpg|300px|thumb|Heritage sale 3096, lot 30309]]
[[Image:H3096-30309r.jpg|300px|thumb]]

This specimen was lot 30309 in Heritage auction 3096 (Dallas, TX, March 2021), where it sold for $324,000. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, <blockquote>"A Covetable Mint State Representative of an Outstanding Historical Rarity. [[Great Britain]]: Anne gold "Vigo" 5 Guineas 1703 UNC Details (Damaged) NGC. SECVNDO edge. One of the most famous rarities of the British series and the single largest denomination struck from specie captured from the Spanish at Vigo Bay in 1702 as part of the War of Spanish Succession. This treasure amounted to approximately 4,500 pounds of silver but only 7 pounds 8 ounces of gold; as such, silver coins bearing the Vigo hallmark are reasonably attainable, but gold coins are seldom seen. Of these, the 5 Guineas are the rarest, rendering their acquisition a virtually impossible task for the vast majority of collectors. In fact, as few as 15-20 examples are known today.

The Battle of Vigo Bay was precipitated by chance and opportunistic action, rather than any extended planning or foresight. The attempted seizure of Cádiz by Anglo-Dutch forces had failed miserably in the previous month of September, and as a result, Admiral Sir George Rooke had turned his fleet back toward home waters. However, upon receiving the news that an armada of Spanish ships had recently anchored at Vigo Bay in northwestern Spain, Rooke decided to engage. The Spanish took decisive measures to contain and ward off the assault, including the placement of a heavy boom to block the entrance to the bay. Vice Admiral Thomas Hopsonn led the attack in the ''Torbay'', and eventually managed to break through the boom, with several ships following. Despite desperate measures by the Spanish, including the use of a fire ship that, fortunately for the allies, blew up prematurely, the Anglo-Dutch force succeeded, overcoming the enemy ships with relative ease on October 23, 1702. Though it was discovered that most of the cargo had already been unloaded, with the haul subsequently being significantly less than had been expected, the military success was complete, and all ships of the French escort fleet and the Spanish galleons were either destroyed or captured. Further, the event became a huge piece of propaganda for the English, who proceeded to mint coins from the capture[d] bullion, prominently marked with the name "Vigo" in honor of their victory.

Though all survivors of this exceedingly scarce issue receive commensurate collector and bidder attention, it is the uncirculated state of this specimen that catapults it into an elite tier of desirability. Despite a peppering of light marks, alluded to on the holder insert, the luster remains not only full but spectacular. Sleek mint brilliance careens with unimpeded grace across the surfaces, illuminating a warm sunset tone that expresses itself with balanced uniformity, growing in intensity toward the outer registers and gripping the legends in fiery light. The strike appears full, with only a single area of lightness on Anne's left shoulder and an isolated scratch noted to the right field, easily drowned out by an abundance of flaring luster. If ever it were true, this offering, a sparkling jewel of a coin, can only be fully appreciated in hand, if not for the vastness of its historical importance, then certainly for the visual masterpiece that it represents. From the Paramount Collection."</blockquote> This is a one year type. Other five guineas exist for queen Anne but without the "VIGO".

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' 41.75 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 41.90 g.

''Catalog reference:'' KM 520.1, Fr-318, S-3561, Schneider-523.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1701-1800, 7th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2016.
* 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.
* <sup>[1]</sup>Bierrenbach, Cristiano and Warren Tucker, ''Heritage World and Ancient Coins Auction 3096, featuring the Paramount Collection of World & Ancient Coins,'' Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2021.

''Link to:''
* [[Great Britain 1703 penny|1703 silver penny]]
* [[Great Britain 1703 2 pence|1703 silver tuppence]]
* [[Great Britain 1703 6 pence|1703 "VIGO" sixpence]]
* [[Great Britain 1703 shilling|1703 "VIGO" shilling]]
* [[Great Britain 1703 half crown|1703 "VIGO" half crown]]
* [[Great Britain 1703 VIGO crown|1703 "VIGO" crown]]
* [[Great Britain 1703 1/2 guinea|1703 "VIGO" half guinea]]
* [[Great Britain 1705 5 guineas|1705 5 guineas]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1703]]

[[Category:Selections from Heritage sale 3096]]

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 ''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
 * 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.

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 * [[Great Britain 1703 VIGO crown|1703 "VIGO" crown]]
 * [[Great Britain 1703 1/2 guinea|1703 "VIGO" half guinea]]
 * [[Great Britain 1705 5 guineas|1705 5 guineas]]
 * [[Coins and currency dated 1703]]
 [[Category:Selections from Heritage sale 3096]]