Charles II, 1660-1685.

AV Five Guineas, 1677. First laureate head variety right, rev. crowned cruciform shields, sceptres in angles, interlocking Cs in centre, edge: VICESIMO NONO. MCE 15; S.3328A.
Some light flecking. Well struck.
NGC AU 58 (2169818-001)

The reign of Charles II saw a transformation in the organisation of the Royal Mint and a revolution in the method of production and design of the coinage. An urgent need to promote the restored monarchy and replace the coinage of The Commonwealth drove the adoption of mechanised technology for striking coins on a mass scale from 1662 onwards. Anyone could bring gold and silver bullion to the mint to be coined but the charges were expensive. An ‘Act for the Encouragement of the Coinage’ abolishing these charges was passed on 20 December 1666 and its success was spectacular. Mint output leapt; 65,218 pounds of gold in 1666, 125,685 in 1667 and 198,022 in 1668. It is little surprise that new denominations were required and introduced. Among them was the Five Guinea piece, the most imposing and dramatic of all English gold coins. First struck in 1668, the Five Guinea, valued at 100 Shillings and weighing 647 ¼ grains (41.94g.), was the heaviest British gold coin ever issued for circulation. John Roettiers’ portrait of the king is a study in baroque magnificence, perfectly offset by the ordered heraldic devices of the reverse. The sensitively modelled facial features capture much of the inner character of the Merry Monarch while the sinuous curls of the wig add to the aesthetic interest. Five Guinea pieces of Charles II would remain in circulation for some 150 years. For this reason, they are particularly difficult for collectors to obtain in high grade.