Five Guineas of George II

The Five Guineas of George II is a large gold coin and the highest denomination of the milled gold coinage struck during the reign of George II (1727-1760). Produced by machine at the Tower Mint, it belongs to the fully milled English coinage struck on presses with a marked edge, and it took its name from the guinea, the standard gold unit of the period.

The photographed type shows the laureate profile of George II facing left, accompanied by the abbreviated Latin legend beginning GEORGVS II D G (Georgius II, Dei Gratia, "George II, by the Grace of God"). The reverse carries an elaborate crowned heraldic shield bearing the quartered royal arms, a design that identifies the coin as a product of the Hanoverian dynasty.

As the flagship gold denomination of an important reign, the Five Guineas is prized by collectors as both a substantial gold object and a fine example of eighteenth-century English machine-struck coinage.

George II came to the throne in 1727, and gold coinage in his name continued the milled system that had been established under his Stuart and early Hanoverian predecessors. The Five Guineas was struck only intermittently across the reign rather than every year, appearing in a limited number of dated issues spread over several decades.

The reign produced two main portrait styles: a younger laureate head used on the earlier issues and an older laureate head used on the later ones, reflecting the long span between the first and last strikings. Some pieces carry provenance marks below the bust that record the source of the gold, including the initials of the East India Company on certain early strikings and the word LIMA on issues associated with captured Spanish-American treasure of the 1740s.

The denomination remained a fixture of English gold until the guinea system was reformed in the early nineteenth century. The George II five-guinea pieces, issued in modest numbers over a long reign, hold an established place in that series and are among the classic large gold coins of the period.

The obverse shows George II in profile facing left, laureate, surrounded by the abbreviated Latin legend beginning GEORGVS II D G. The left-facing laureate portrait is a key diagnostic: it distinguishes George II from George I, whose milled gold faces right, and the legend naming George the Second confirms the ruler.

The reverse displays a single large crowned heraldic shield bearing the quartered royal arms, richly garnished and surrounded by a Latin legend. This crowned-shield reverse differs from the cruciform arrangement of separate shields seen on some earlier reigns and is characteristic of the Hanoverian gold of George II.

Being a milled coin, it has a regular round flan and a marked edge; five-guinea pieces of this era typically carry an edge inscription rather than a plain or grained edge. Look for possible provenance marks below the bust, confirm whether the portrait is the younger or older laureate head, and verify the denomination by the coin's large size and weight relative to the smaller guinea, half-guinea, and two-guinea pieces.

The Five Guineas of George II is a large, high-value gold coin, and genuine examples are scarce and expensive, trading well above their bullion content. Prices depend heavily on the specific date, the portrait type, the presence of provenance marks such as the East India Company initials or LIMA, the grade and quality of strike, and the coin's originality and eye appeal, with authenticated pieces reaching into the substantial four- and five-figure range and higher for rare dates in fine condition.

Because the type is famous and valuable, it has been widely reproduced, and cast copies, later fantasies, and modern replicas exist. Weight, dimensions, and edge inscription are important checks, and any single quoted price should be treated as general context rather than a firm valuation.

Anyone assessing a specific coin should consult recent auction results for the matching date and variety and seek expert examination, since small differences in date, marks, and condition produce large differences in value.