5 Guineas - Anne post-union shields

Anne's post-union coinage reflects the political settlement of 1707, when the Acts of Union merged the English and Scottish parliaments — the shield arrangement on these pieces was updated accordingly, dropping the separate English and Scottish quarterings in favor of the unified arrangement. The 1706 date places this coin in the transitional moment, struck just ahead of formal union taking effect in May 1707, anticipating the constitutional change by months.

Five-guinea pieces were never intended for ordinary commerce. At roughly twice the weight of a standard guinea, they functioned primarily as presentation pieces and gifts, and surviving examples in circulated grades are genuinely unusual for that reason.