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5 Guineas - William III 1st bust
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1699-1700 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped right-facing bust of William III, engraved in the first bust style attributed to James Roettier, with elaborate long curling hair cascading over the shoulder and a prominent laurel wreath adorning the head. The effigy displays finely rendered drapery at the truncation, with decorative scrollwork at the base of the bust. The Latin legend GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA runs clockwise around the periphery, separated from the effigy by a plain field. The coin is bordered by a continuous inner bead or milling ring characteristic of late seventeenth-century Royal Mint production. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA (Translation: William the Third by the Grace of God) |
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| Additional information |
William III's five guinea pieces from 1699–1700 were struck at a moment when the English coinage was still recovering from the catastrophic Great Recoinage of 1696, which had briefly left the country almost without functional silver currency. The gold denominations absorbed an outsized share of daily commerce during those years, circulating far more heavily than their face value would normally demand.
The first bust variety was replaced before William's death in 1702, making the production window narrow. Dies for five guinea pieces were hand-cut individually, and collar-cracking under the enormous striking pressure required for a coin of this weight was a documented production hazard at the Tower Mint.