1/2 Guinea - George I

The half guinea had effectively disappeared from circulation by the early eighteenth century, and George I's accession in 1714 prompted a concerted effort to reintroduce smaller gold denominations as part of a broader recoinage push. The logistics were complicated by the fact that George arrived from Hanover speaking almost no English, leaving monetary policy largely to his ministers — Marlborough's faction among them pressing for coinage reforms that would stabilize a gold-to-silver ratio still suffering from Newton's 1717 revaluation of the guinea.

Spink lists two die varieties across this run, Sp.3635 and 3636, distinguished primarily by subtle differences in the king's hair treatment.