50s and 60s <<-- : -->> Maundy Sets
History of the Five Guineas & Five Pounds
Values of the Five Guineas & Five Pounds
Charles II : James II : William and Mary : William III : Anne : George I : George II : George III : George IV : Victoria : Edward VII: George V : George VI : Elizabeth II
1668 elephant five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1670 five guineas, obverse (first bust) and reverse |
1676 elephant and castle five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1684 five guineas, elephant and castle below second bust, obverse and reverse |
1686 five guineas, obverse and reverse (left two sceptres transposed) |
1688 five guineas, obverse (second bust) and reverse (sceptres correct) |
1688 elephant & castle five guineas, obverse (first bust) and reverse |
1692 five guineas, obverse and reverse (large lion) |
1692 five guineas, obverse and reverse (small lion) |
1694 elephant and castle five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1699 elephant & castle five guineas, obverse (first bust) and reverse |
1701 five guineas, 'fine work type'; |
1703 VIGO five guineas, obverse and reverse |
The following is extracted from the Spink Auction Catalogue for the Samuel King Collection, 2005.
On the October 12th 1702 a powerful Anglo-Dutch fleet, under the command of Admiral Sir George Rooke, engaged and destroyed a Franco-Spanish bullion fleet sheltering in Vigo bay on the north-eastern coast of Spain.
Rooke's fleet was returning to England after a failed attempt to take the port of Cadiz following the outbreak of hostilities in what was to become the War of Spanish Succession.
Despite achieving near total victory the English and their allies, as a result of Spanish foresight, only recovered a modest quantity of precious metals of which less than 4,500 lb of silver and the paltry sum of 7lb and 8oz of gold made it to the Mint. The destruction of the enemy fleet inflicted a serious blow to the reach of French naval power and the significance of the action was clearly perceived at the time.
The bullion was transported to the Tower with considerable pageantry and the then Master of the Mint, Sir Isaac Newton, noted for his frequent absences, personally oversaw the delivery. A royal warrant was subsequently issued causing the bullion to be coined and the word 'VIGO' to be inserted under Queen Anne's bust in order to 'Continue to Prosterity the Remembrance of that Glorious Action.'
The VIGO gold issue of 1703 was intended for circulation and comprised Half Guinea, Guinea and Five Guinea pieces. The dies were the work of the Mint's Chief Engraver, Henry Harris and his assistant John Croker. Each denomination is excessively rare and while exact numbers struck are unknown it is believed that fewer than 15 Five-Guinea pieces are in private collections.
According to Spink's records only four other examples have been offered at auction in Britain in the past 45 years. The VIGO Five Guinea piece is one of the most desirable coins in the entire English milled gold series.
For a detailed account of the battle and its consequences see H. Kamen, 'The Destruction of the Spanish Silver Fleet at Vigo in 1702', Numismatic Circular, June 1966 and C. Challis (ed.), A New History of the Royal Mint, Cambridge, 1992, p.433
This particular coin sold for a hammer price of 130,000 GBP, a record for a five guinea piece.
1709 five guineas, obverse (first bust) and reverse (narrow shields) |
1713 five guineas, obverse (second bust) and reverse |
1720 five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1729 EIC five guineas, obverse (young head) and reverse |
1741 five guineas (4 over 3), obverse (young head) and reverse |
1746 LIMA five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1748 five guineas, obverse (older head) and reverse |
1770 pattern five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1773 pattern five guineas, obverse and reverse |
1826 Proof five pounds, obverse and reverse |
1839 'Una and the Lion' five pounds, obverse and reverse |
1887 five pounds, obverse and reverse |
1893 five pounds |
1902 five pounds |
1911 five pounds, obverse |
1911 five pounds, reverse |
1937 five pounds |
1953 sovereign, double sovereign and five pounds
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Charles II : James II : William and Mary : William III : Anne : George I : George II : George III : George IV : Victoria : Edward VII: George V : George VI : Elizabeth II
I readily acknowledge the kind permission given by Spink of London and Jean ELSEN & ses Fils of Brussels to use images from their website auction catalogues.
50s and 60s <<-- : -->> Maundy Sets
Main History Index
History of the Five Guinea and Five Pound coins
UK Coin Values Index
Values of Five Guinea and Five Pound coins
Coins of UK - Five Guineas & Five Pounds
Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v13a 5th December 2018
