George III (1760-1820). Proof gold Guinea, 1787, fifth laureate head right, legend surrounding, GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA., Rev. crowned quartered spade shaped shield of arms, date below, legend surrounding, M.B.F. ET. H. REX. F.D. B.ET. L. D. S. R. I. A. T ET. E. (Schneider -; WR 104; S.3729; Fr.356; KM.609). Some red toning, has been graded and slabbed by PCGS as PR65CAM, currently only one piece graded finer out of a total of 5, for comparison NGC have not graded anything better out of six examples seen. Estimate Value $12,000 - UP
Ex Dr Jacob Y Terner, part II, Ira and Larry Goldberg, Auction 25, 31st May 2004, lot 1213.
PCGS certification 10043333.65/21474883.This issue of the fine gold Proof Guinea was struck exclusively for the use of the Bank of England along with fine gold Half-Guineas and pure silver Shillings and Sixpences, as of September 1787. The order was approved by the Master of the Mint on the 19th September and Lewis Pingo went ahead and struck 168 four coin groups of which this coin would have been one of 168 Guineas struck. A contemporary record (Mint 1/14 p.12) shows that 100 of the four coin sets were for the Directors of the Bank of England, 18 for higher ranking officers, 38 for Royal Mint officials and 12 for the Company of Moneyers. For further reading on the issue of 1787 Shillings and for a breakdown of some recipients of the sets of four coins see Appendix E in the article "The 1787 Shilling - A Transition in Minting Technique" by H E Manville and Prof. P P Gaspar, British Numismatic Journal, 2004, volume 74.