Anne (1702-14), Gold Guinea, 1702, Pre-Union Type

This gold Guinea features the first draped bust of Queen Anne facing left on the obverse, surrounded by the Latin legend "ANNA. DEI. GRATIA." (Anne, by the grace of God) and a toothed border. The reverse displays crowned Pre-Union cruciform shields with a rose at the centre, emblematic sceptres in the angles, and the date (1702) split on either side of the top crown. The Latin legend "MAG BR.FRA ET.HIB REG." (Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland) also appears on the reverse, surrounded by a toothed border. The edge of the coin is milled.

This coin is a scarce initial date for Anne's reign, despite a significant issue of £162,069 worth of gold in 1702. Some of this gold may have been final issues of William III dated 1701. The coin has been graded AU58 by NGC, with only three pieces grading finer out of ten total grading records across NGC and PCGS. It is toned with hairlines and light surface marks.

This 1702 Guinea is part of the St. Albans Collection, as noted on the NGC label and represents the first year of issue for Queen Anne's coinage, minted before the Acts of Union in 1707 that united England and Scotland.

NGC Certification 6295553-026