Lot 2291
Great Britain. Guinea, 1714. George I. First Bust. S-3628. One-year type, very rare with the distinctive "PR EL" at the end of the king's titles in the reverse legend. In the following year, the letters "PR" were dropped (probably because the letters seemed crowded) and no longer did all the king's titles appear on his guinea. However, that is not the only nor even the most important distinctive feature of the Prince Elector guinea, because this single date also has the finest portrait of the first Hanover king, an elegant rendering with several ringlets of hair fully draped over the back of his neck and shoulder, in higher relief than any of his other guineas. It is a truly "stately" coin. But why was it chosen to be so distinctive? No single answer can exist, but it is highly probable that Parliament ordered the mint engravers to flatter the new king; as Prince Elector of Hanover, in his native Germany, he was far richer than any king of England had ever been. A special Act had been passed concerning the succession, as Anne died without heir; Parliament had chosen the Empress Sophia Dorothea, a descendant of James I, and she would have been Queen Sophia of England had she not also died; and so Georg Ludwig inherited the English Crown by default. He was a soldier and diplomat when he became King of England in September 1714, but his language and his manner were decidedly German. He disliked British politics and communicated with his ministers through advisors, preferring to devote his time to things cultural and pleasurable. He laid out Kensington Gardens in central London but mostly he idled away his time, hunting and playing cards, and eating; he died of a heart attack while vacationing back in Germany, leaving England to his son, who as George II made a successful transition to being an Englishman. NGC graded MS-63.
Estimated Value $7,500 - 9,000.
The Cheshire Collection.
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| Realized $7,475 |
