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Sale 53
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Lot 2599
Great Britain. 5 Guineas, 1699. S-3455; Fr-311; KM-505.2. William III, 1694-1702. First bust type, laureate head right, Elephant & Castle hallmark below. Reverse: Crowned cruciform arms, with angled scepters and lion escutcheon at center, and divided date, lettered edge reads +DECVS. ET. TVTAMEN. ANNO. REGNI. UNDECIMO. Sharply struck with somewhat prooflike surfaces and considerable luster.
Historical note: William was the perfect successor to the last Catholic king, James II, as he had no real interest in any religious matter and was technically a Calvinist; he established Presbyterianism in Scotland but was unable to quell the broiling political climate of that part of his realm (the Massacre of Glencoe was a blot on his attempts to solve Scottish issues), and throughout his short reign William dealt with various Jacobite plots to restore James II to the throne - beginning with 1689's Battle of the Boyne in which William himself led the English army against James at the head of a French force in Ireland. When it ended, James fled to France for good but continued to plot against his successors, and it was William's trusted general, the Duke of Marlborough, who dealt with the foreign menace in the War of the Spanish Succession against France - and concluded it decisively in a series of battles. This left King William with little to do, in reality, and so he pursued his passion for hunting in the homeland forests. Ironically it was not invasion which ended his rule, but a hunting accident: the king's horse put a foot into a mole hole and threw him, killing him. His Jacobite enemies toasted him far and wide as "the little gentleman in black velvet." 1699 saw the last of the big 5 Guineas of this reign that bore this distinctive hallmark, which appears here markedly larger than it was rendered on the dual-monarchy issues of William & Mary. NGC graded AU-58, Our grade is borderline Uncirculated.
All the 5 Guineas struck in 1699 had a "soft" or lightly struck surface. As such NGC grading techniques did not assess this coin correctly. This example is the finest in private hands and is the true meaning of "as struck" for this coin.
Estimated Value $25,000 - 30,000.
Ex: Eli Wallit Coll. lot 381. Morton & Eden 12/11/2003; The "Sylvia" Collection, through Mark Rasmussen by private treaty.
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| Realized $36,800 |
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