Cleveland Museum of Art

Five Guineas: Anne (obverse); Shields and rose (reverse)

Date: 1703
Medium: gold
Culture: England, Anne, 1702-1714
Department: Medieval Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

The coinage during Anne's reign remained fairly constant to the designs inaugurated in 1662. Before the Act of Union with Scotland (1706), the arms of England and Scotland remained separate, as shown. After the act the two arms were conjoined on one shield. The word Vigo denotes that the coins were struck from gold captured from the Spanish at the Battle of Vigo Bay (1702). Although silver coins bearing the Vigo inscription are less rare, the three gold denominations bearing the symbol are all extremely rare. Of the five guineas struck for circulation, this type is the rarest.

View at Cleveland Museum of Art ↗

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.