William and Mary 1694 Five-Guineas AU50, final and rarest date for reign

William and Mary (1688-94), gold Five Guineas, 1694, 4 appears to be struck over 3, conjoined busts right, legend surrounding, GVLIELMVS. ET. MARIA. DEI. GRATIA, toothed border around rim both sides, rev. crowned quartered shield of arms with scalloped frame, Lion of Nassau as an escutcheon at centre, date either side of crown, MAG. BR. FR. ET. HIB . REX. ET. REGINA., edge inscribed in raised letters, inverted orientation to obverse, +DECVS. ET. TVTAMEN. ANNO. REGNI. SEXTO. +., weight 41.73g (Schneider -; Holloway 54; Bull EGC 354 R; MCE 142; S.3422). Toned with some flecking and other surface marks, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as AU50.

NGC Certification 2130713-026

The Latin legends translate to on obverse "William and Mary by the Grace of God" continuing on the reverse as "King and Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland."

"The Rarity of Five Guinea Pieces - An Analysis" appeared in the preface of the Samuel King Collection of Highly Important English Gold Coins sold at Spink on 5^th May 2005 co-written by the present cataloguer. The analysis showed that over a 45-year period preceding 2005, since 1960 that only 47 examples of the plain Five Guinea dated 1694 had been bought or sold in numismatic commerce, which make this the rarest date of this joint reign. £57,246 worth of gold for calendar year 1694 which is the fourth lowest for gold production in the six years of dates in this reign, though of course we do not know how the output would be broken down between the gold denominations or how exactly how much was received to be minted from the Royal African Company of England.

Provenance:

Ex Giessener Münzhandlung 26, Munich, September 1983, lot 149.

Ex Dr Rolf Baumhauer, British Gold Collection, Part 3, Sincona Auction 79, 24^th October 2022, lot 1197.