MS60 | James II (1685-88), gold Five Guineas, 1687, second laureate head left, legend and toothed border surrounding, IACOBVS.II. DEI. GRATIA, rev. crowned cruciform shields, seven strings to Irish harp, sceptres in angles, the sceptre heads of the Irish and French type both with corrections, date either side of top crown, MAG. BR. FRA. ET. HIB REX., edge inscribed in raised letters and dated, +.DECVS. ET. TVTAMEN. ANNO. REGNI. TERTIO., 41.68g (Schneider 453; EGC 313; MCE 117; S.3397A). Toned with some light surface marks, graded by NGC as MS60, this coin is the second finest graded at both NGC and PCGS.

NGC Certification 6031694-002.

The Latin legends on this coin translate as "James the Second, by the grace of God" on the obverse, "King of Great Britain, France and Ireland" on the reverse, and finally on the edge "An ornament and a safeguard, in the third year of his reign"

The Samuel King Survey co-written by this cataloguer and published in May 2005 recorded 127 examples of the 1687 Five Guineas in commerce over a 45 year period 1960-2005. The total output of gold across all four denominations for the calendar year of 1687 was £401,301.

Provenance:
Purchased from Roderick Richardson, Spring List 2002, no. 17

(£40,000-£50,000)