Anne's accession in 1702 prompted the Royal Mint to explore new portraiture before committing to a production type, and pattern guineas from this year document that process. John Croker, a German-born medallist who had arrived in London only a few years earlier, was among those competing for favor — his rivalry with the established engraver Samuel Bull shaped which designs advanced and which were shelved.
KM#Pn33 never reached circulation. Patterns of this reign in gold survive in very small numbers, most traceable to old cabinet collections.
Anne's accession in 1702 prompted the Royal Mint to explore new portraiture before committing to a production type, and pattern guineas from this year document that process. John Croker, a German-born medallist who had arrived in London only a few years earlier, was among those competing for favor — his rivalry with the established engraver Samuel Bull shaped which designs advanced and which were shelved.
KM#Pn33 never reached circulation. Patterns of this reign in gold survive in very small numbers, most traceable to old cabinet collections.