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1 Guinea - George III 6th portrait
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1813 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Guinea (21/20) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The crowned shield of the Royal Arms of Great Britain is displayed at center, quartering England, Scotland, Ireland, and Hanover, surmounted by a crown of arches. The shield is encircled by the Garter bearing the motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE in raised lettering. The surrounding outer legend reads BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR with the date 1813 at the base. The entire composition is contained within a toothed border, and the design occupies the full width of the flan. The engraving exhibits fine detail typical of late Georgian milled gold coinage. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
The 1813 guinea was the last of the denomination struck for circulation in Britain. By that point the guinea had already been functionally displaced — the Bank of England's paper pound had dominated everyday commerce since the Restriction Period began in 1797, and gold coin had largely vanished from circulation through Gresham's Law dynamics as bullion values fluctuated during the Napoleonic Wars. The 1813 issue was produced largely for army pay chests destined for Wellington's Peninsula campaign, earning these pieces the collector designation "Military Guinea."
No guineas were struck after this date. The denomination itself was retired with the Great Recoinage of 1816, replaced by the sovereign at 20 shillings rather than 21.