1/2 Guinea - William III early harp

William III's early coinage is distinguished by a notably crude harp on the Irish quarter of the shield — a design so criticised at the time that it was revised within a few years of his accession. The 1695 date falls squarely in this early period, before the major recoinage of 1696 which was driven not by aesthetic concerns but by the catastrophic state of English silver currency, clipped and debased to the point where commerce was grinding to a halt. Gold issues of this moment circulated in a monetary environment under severe stress.

The early harp variety is the distinguishing factor for KM#487.1 against its successors.