Goldberg Coins & Collectibles Auctions    
       

       

                             



Sale 31: The Pre-Long Beach Auction May 30 - June 1, 2005
             

             
            Lot 2291Great 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. 

            Provenance: The Cheshire Collection.
             Realized $6,500
             


          








Courtesy Ira & Larry Goldberg Auctioneers, Beverly Hills, CA. www.goldbergcoins.com