William III 1699 Five Guineas, AU53, 1st year for denomination in reign, ex Sincona British

William III (1694-1702), gold Five Guineas, 1699, first laureate bust right, legend and toothed border surrounding, GVLIELMVS. III. DEI. GRA., the last two words closer together, rev. crowned cruciform emblematic shields, six strings to Irish harp, emblematic sceptres in angles, Lion of Nassau at centre, date either side of top crown, legend and toothed border surrounding, .MAG. BR. FRA. ET.HIB. REX., edge inscribed in raised letters, inverted As for Vs in error, +. DECVS. ET. TVTAMEN. ANNO. REGNI. UNDECIMO. (Schneider 478; Bull EGC 394; MCE 169; S.3454). Attractively toned with some red copper colouration, surface marks, has been slabbed and graded by NGC as AU53.

NGC Certification 2119552-022.

We note £141,377 worth of gold for calendar year 1699 which is the third lowest for gold production in the seven years of dates in this reign, though of course we do not know how the output would be broken down between the gold denominations nor how long a date on a coin die would have lasted into a following calendar year.

The "Samuel King" Survey, "The Rarity of Five Guinea Pieces - An Analysis" co-authored by this cataloguer revealed a total of 62 examples of this initial date of the denomination for the reign passing through the British market-place in a 45-year period up until 2005.

Provenance:

Sincona British Collection, part one, Sincona Auction 72, 21^st November 2021, lot 701.