Charles II 1664 Guinea elephant below, second bust

Charles II (1660-85),gold Guinea, 1664, elephant below second laureate head right, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, CAROLVS. II. DEI. GRATIA,rev.crowned cruciform shields, sceptres in angles, four interlinked Cs at centre, date either side of top crown, Latin legend and toothed border surrounding, .MAG. BR. FRA. ET. HIB REX., weight 8.22g (Schneider 440; Bull EGC 231 R3; Farey 025 ER; MCE 55; S.3341).Worn on high points but with all lettering and outlines visible, some scratches on obverse, some flecking otherwise about fine to fine and a very rare issue from the Africa company.

The Latin legends translate as on the obverse "Charles the second by the Grace of God," and abbreviated on the reverse as "King of Great Britain, France and Ireland."

Such coins with the elephant provenance mark below the bust were issued by the Royal African Company which was launched by Prince Rupert in 1660 to bring back gold and trade goods from Africa. The Company did well at first and no doubt produced this gold coinage of Two Guineas dated 1664 after an initial first issue of Guineas the year before. Guineas were also issued dated 1664 but clearly the larger Two Guinea piece was used for the bulk of the Royal African Company issue to coin their gold quicker. 1664 was also the year in which the Company became over-confident on the African coast trying to take over some of the Dutch trader forts and positions, in which Sir Robert Holmes with up to eleven Royal Navy warships at his disposal was perhaps too aggressive in taking over Dutch assets and was briefly imprisoned on his return for taking his orders too far. The monetary costs of his confrontations also caused havoc with the Company's finances, somehow soldiering on with some further coin issues, through to 1671 when it eventually became insolvent. The Company was soon relaunched again from 1672 as the Royal African Company of England.

Provenance:

Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, April 2001, MG0267.