Anne 1707 Crown, Post Union

Anne (1702-14), silver Crown, 1707, Post-Union of England and Scotland, second draped bust left, legend and toothed border surrounding, ANNA. DEI. GRATIA. rev. crowned cruciform shields, garter star at centre, date either side of top crown, abbreviated Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, .MAG BRI:FR. ET. HIB: REG: edge inscribed in raised letters, +DECVS. ET. TVTAMEN. ANNO. REGNI. SEPTIMO. (ESC 104; Bull 1344; S.3601). Toned, a few light haymarks and flecks, otherwise a pleasing extremely fine, reverse better and becoming rare this nice.

The Act of Union of England and Scotland was created on the 1^st May 1707 and was depicted on the coinage with the dimidiation of the English and Scottish shields in two places on the reverse for most gold and silver issues dating from 1707 onwards. The gold Five Guineas is an anomaly where the more common version for 1706 dated pieces also shows Post-Union shields, in theory some time before the Act was created. However, the Union was suggested some years before and was properly negotiated in Whitehall from the 22^nd April 1706 onwards. The depiction of the coinage was one of the more easily resolved issues connected with the Union, so perhaps this is why the Five Guineas were the earliest coins to depict the change. The 25 articles of the Union were all approved by the 14^th January 1707 including article 16 which specifically related to coinage. This date in the English Julian calendar at the time would have been 1706 unlike the Gregorian calendar used today, as the new year still commenced on March 25^th. This means the 1706 Post-Union Five Guineas were likely produced ready for later distribution (once the Union was official on 1^st May) between 14^th January and 25^th March 1706/7.

The Latin legends translate as "Anne by the Grace of God" on obverse, "Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland" on reverse, and upon the edge "An ornament and a safeguard, in the seventh year of the reign".