Great Britain: William & Mary gold 5 Guineas 1692 MS63 PCGS,...

Description

Joint-Finest Certified William and Mary 1692 5 Guineas

William & Mary gold 5 Guineas 1692 MS63 PCGS, KM479.1, S-3422, Schneider-462 (same obverse die). QVARTO edge. An almost mythical grade for such a large gold coin of William and Mary, existing in the certified population as one of only two pieces at choice level between NGC and PCGS combined (for reference, the Tyrant Collection specimen ranks as an MS61). The largest denomination produced during the period, which would have experienced wider use in international trade and for accounting purposes than domestic circulation, the sheer heft of the 5 Guineas frequently led to edge dings, stacking friction, and its prized status by an earlier generation of collectors less concerned about cleaning their coins. Additionally prone to the same shallow engraving that plagues William and Mary's coinage in general, this specimen, however, appears as a resounding exception to the general state of the series, and a clear outlier poised to pique ample collector attention. Apparently struck from the same reverse die employed for a large number of the "Elephant" 5 Guineas of the same date--with the central lion's tail broken--the offering is immediately striking from all angles, hardly the least trace of weakness detectable anywhere in the design, and those few wisps that do exist more easily ascribed more to its 328-year age than any grave mishandling. The next finest example of this date we have offered was an MS61, which brought $96,000--the current record for this year--as part of our August 2018 ANA sale. With this selection standing a full two grade points higher, we can only anticipate the fervent bidding it will elicit as it crosses the auction block.

Metal: Gold
Diameter: 37mm
Weight: 41.75g
AGW: 1.2308oz

More information about Great Britain Coins. See also: Great Britain World Coin Nationality.

View Certification Details from PCGS