1813 George III Gold 'Military' Half-Guinea

The 1813 Guinea is the last year the denomination was struck for currency and represents a new design since the previous spade type Guinea some 14 years earlier. It was termed the military Guinea as it was produced to help pay the English soldiers advancing into France and was only produced for a short period of time, between February and June 1813 Financing campaigns overseas impacted coin production in different ways. The Peninsular War (1808-14) between Bourbon Spain and Portugal, assisted by Britain, and the occupying forces of the First French Empire was a catalyst for the return of the large-scale minting of gold coins in Britain. Dated 1813, these coins came to be known as the military guinea because they were shipped to the Duke of Wellington for use in the Iberian Peninsula. Obverse : Seventh laureate bust of George III facing right, encircled by the legend GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA ("George III by the Grace of God"). Reverse : Quartered shield of arms (England, Scotland, France, Ireland) with Hanoverian escutcheon, crowned and set within the Garter. The garter bears the French motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE ("Evil to him who evil thinks"). Below, the date 1813 ; outer legend BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR ("King of the Britons, Defender of the Faith"). Lightly toned with minor surface marks, retaining mirrored fields. Graded MS62 by NGC (Certification #6610497-002).

Key Features:

• Produced by The Royal Mint, a recognised precious metals manufacturer.
• Struck in 999.9 fine gold where specified by the source catalog.