George III gold Proof "Military" Guinea 1813 PR64 Cameo NGC, KM664, S-3730, W&R-114 (R4). By Lewis Pingo. A wonderful Proof of Record Guinea, the final year of production for this iconic early-milled British denomination. The Guinea, first struck in 1663 during the reign of Charles II, was produced for 150 years until 1813, the year the present specimen was minted. A coinage of necessity, the so-called 'military' Guineas of 1813 numbered 80,000 and were produced solely as a one-year type by the British government in order to pay armed forces fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. As there was a 14-year gap since the cessation of the production of the Spade Guinea series in 1799, the sudden call for production of this one-year Guinea led to the proposal of several patterns; some bearing altered reverse shields, and one quite different type bearing the Royal Standard of England. This was eventually considered too difficult to strike and too inflammatorily nationalistic, and so the shallower and more simplistic shield in garter was eventually adopted as represented here on this glorious Proof. Intense reflectivity graces the fields of this near-gem, George's bust thickly frosted and essentially free from surfaces marks. Light orange tone to the peripheries frames the central designs and adds a pleasant variety to the planchet color. This piece is the sole example certified by NGC, tied for highest graded with just one other at PCGS, and thus is a must-have for the highest tier of Guinea collectors. Ex. Millennia Collection

HID99912102018