Heritage World Coin Auctions
March Signature Sale 3096 25-27 Mar 2021
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Great Britain
William & Mary gold 5 Guineas 1693 MS64 Prooflike NGC, KM479.1, Fr-299, S-3422, Schneider-462. QVINTO edge. Simply stated, of legendary quality. Any collector seeking the absolute "best of the best" for the type must necessarily take pause to consider this sublime example, which, beyond a tied position for the technically finest certified example of the issue, further carries a Prooflike designation in recognition of its awe-inspiring mirrored surfaces. Among a team of numismatists with combined decades of experience in the industry, there is universal agreement that this specimen is not only the finest that we have ever offered, but is also by far the finest that anybody here has seen. It is worth, then, elaborating on what exactly renders this coin a giant among its fellow survivors.
The strike is full, in fact, needle-sharp, every feature rising in clean contrast against its surrounding elements. While William & Mary's 5 Guineas typically display an overall shallower engraving style, this fact is rendered irrelevant in this piece by virtue of universally clear outlining to the central motifs, both the jugate busts of the dual Monarchs and the reverse shield displaying not a hint of weakness nor blending in with the adjacent fields. The legends, similarly, are struck with an exactitude and clarity that easily renders them the sharpest that we have seen, providing a clear perception of bold striking quality that would stand out to even a seasoned expert.
It is the pondlike mirror resplendence of the fields that provides the crowning touch to this majestic offering. Their sheer reflectivity dominates the aesthetics of the piece, providing an aura of careful preservation that reaches for the absolute peak of attainable quality for both this specific type, and indeed, any representative of the era at all. The slightest turn of the wrist unleashes a tidal wave of brilliance across the fields, bathing the raised motifs in golden light to establish a new conditional benchmark that has yet to be surpassed. We believe it wholly justified to say that no superlatives can do this magnificent offering full justice, and can easily imagine a not-distant future in which the words "the Paramount William & Mary 1693 5 Guineas" will immediately evoke an image by which all other survivors must be measured against.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-britain/great-britain-william-and-mary-gold-5-guineas-1693-ms64-prooflike-ngc-/a/3096-30302.s?type=CoinArchives3096
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 150000-200000 USD
William & Mary gold 5 Guineas 1693 MS64 Prooflike NGC, KM479.1, Fr-299, S-3422, Schneider-462. QVINTO edge. Simply stated, of legendary quality. Any collector seeking the absolute "best of the best" for the type must necessarily take pause to consider this sublime example, which, beyond a tied position for the technically finest certified example of the issue, further carries a Prooflike designation in recognition of its awe-inspiring mirrored surfaces. Among a team of numismatists with combined decades of experience in the industry, there is universal agreement that this specimen is not only the finest that we have ever offered, but is also by far the finest that anybody here has seen. It is worth, then, elaborating on what exactly renders this coin a giant among its fellow survivors.
The strike is full, in fact, needle-sharp, every feature rising in clean contrast against its surrounding elements. While William & Mary's 5 Guineas typically display an overall shallower engraving style, this fact is rendered irrelevant in this piece by virtue of universally clear outlining to the central motifs, both the jugate busts of the dual Monarchs and the reverse shield displaying not a hint of weakness nor blending in with the adjacent fields. The legends, similarly, are struck with an exactitude and clarity that easily renders them the sharpest that we have seen, providing a clear perception of bold striking quality that would stand out to even a seasoned expert.
It is the pondlike mirror resplendence of the fields that provides the crowning touch to this majestic offering. Their sheer reflectivity dominates the aesthetics of the piece, providing an aura of careful preservation that reaches for the absolute peak of attainable quality for both this specific type, and indeed, any representative of the era at all. The slightest turn of the wrist unleashes a tidal wave of brilliance across the fields, bathing the raised motifs in golden light to establish a new conditional benchmark that has yet to be surpassed. We believe it wholly justified to say that no superlatives can do this magnificent offering full justice, and can easily imagine a not-distant future in which the words "the Paramount William & Mary 1693 5 Guineas" will immediately evoke an image by which all other survivors must be measured against.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/great-britain/great-britain-william-and-mary-gold-5-guineas-1693-ms64-prooflike-ngc-/a/3096-30302.s?type=CoinArchives3096
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 150000-200000 USD