Charles II 1674 Five-Guineas, 1st bust, rarest date of this reign, VICESIMO SEXTO

Charles II (1660-85), gold Five Guineas, 1674, first laureate bust right, Latin legend with pellet stops surrounding, CAROLVS. II. DEI. GRATIA. translates as "Charles II by the Grace of God" toothed border surrounding, rev. crowned cruciform emblematic shields, emblematic sceptres in angles, four interlinked C's at centre, date either side of top crown, abbreviated Latin legend, .MAG. BR. FRA. ET.HIB. REX. translates as "King of Great Britain, France and Ireland" toothed border surrounding, edge inscribed in raised letters DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI VICESIMO SEXTO, translates as "An ornament and a safeguard, in the twenty sixth year of the reign, weight 41.71g (Schneider -; Bull EGC 177 plate coin; King -; Holloway 13; M.C.E. 9; S. 3328). Deep horizontal scratch below bust negating a straight grade from NGC, the rarest and hardest date to find of the whole Charles II currency Five Guinea series with at least four examples extant, the plate coin from English Gold Coinage.

NGC certification 2113951-022 - AU details obverse scratched. Three others graded at NGC on the XF40 level, one showing at PCGS at VF35.

King Survey = 4 examples in commerce over the period 1960-2005 - the lowest of any date in this reign and of any currency piece in the 2005 survey twenty years ago - extremely rare!

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."

We note that the total calendar year output of gold for 1674 = £82,101 which would have been used to produce Five Guineas, Guineas and Half-Guineas.

Provenance:

Ex A.N.A. Worlds Fair of Money, August 2007, Milwaukee USA purchased via A H Baldwin.