Great Britain 1708 guinea Fr-322
This specimen was lot 1218 in Sincona sale 79 (Zurich, October 2022), where it sold for 32,000 CHF (about US$38,352 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "GREAT BRITAIN | Königreich, Anne, 1702-1714. Guinea 1708, London. Post-Union type. Second draped bust, with elephant and castle below. Rare. NGC AU53." Prior to the union of England and Scotland, enacted in 1707, the guinea showed the arms of England and Scotland as separate shields on the reverse. After union, the two arms are impaled and shown on the top and bottom shield (Ireland and France make the other two shields). This date comes with (shown here) and without the elephant and castle below the bust. The subtype was struck 1707-09 and the elephant symbol brings a substantial premium.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 8.35 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 8.34 g.
Catalog reference: KM 529.2, Spink 3573, Bull 469, Fr-322.
- 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.
- [1]Richter, Jürg, SINCONA Auction 79, British Collection, Part 3, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2022.
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