Great Britain 1676 2 guineas Fr-286
This specimen was lot 1649 in Sincona sale 82 (Zurich, May 2023), where it sold for 24,000 CHF (about US$32,119 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted, "Charles II. 1660-1685. 2 Guineas 1676, London. 16.71 g. Second laureate bust, elephant and castle below. Äusserst selten, besonders in dieser Erhaltung (Extremely rare, particularly in this condition). NGC AU58+. From auction Sotheby's, London, June 1994, lot 175. Finest certified by NGC." Oliver Cromwell's death in September 1658 left a leadership vacuum which was quickly filled by inviting prince Charles back from exile to become Charles II. The first series of gold coins of his regime reverted to the old practice of not dating them and come in denominations of unite, double crown and crown. When milled coinage was introduced in 1663, these denominations 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 is listed for 1675-84.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 16.70 g, 0.917 fine gold, lettered edge; this specimen 41.54 g.
Catalog reference: KM 443.1, Spink 3336, Bull 211 var, Fr-286.
- 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, Zurich: SINCONA AG, 2023.
Link to:
- 1675 2 guineas, no symbol
- 1676 pattern farthing
- 1676 4 pence (groat)
- 1676 shilling, without plume
- 1676 crown
- 1676 half guinea, no symbol
- 1676 half guinea, elephant and castle
- 1676 guinea, no symbol
- 1676 guinea, elephant and castle
- 1676 5 guineas, no symbol
- 1677 half guinea, no symbol
- 1677 half guinea, elephant and castle
- 1677 5 guineas, no symbol
- 1677 5 guineas, elephant and castle
- Coins and currency dated 1676
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