Guinea: George III (obverse); Shield of Arms (Cleveland Museum of Art 1969.209)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1761
No five- or two-guinea pieces were issued for general circulation during this reign, but there were large numbers of guineas, the unit piece. The reign saw a profusion of pattern and proof pieces being struck, mostly because a further coinage reform was imminent, as was the removal of the Royal Mint from the Tower of London, where there had been a mint for over 600 years.
Richard Yeo was appointed assistant engraver at the Royal Mint in 1749, chief engraver in 1775, and died in 1779. He was responsible for a large number of pattern pieces and for some of the currency coins of the period. This coin, one of the earliest patterns of the reign, bears a portrait on the obverse similar to that of George II rather than George III. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1969.209: Guinea: George III (obverse); Shield of Arms (reverse), 1761.
Design by Richard Yeo (British, 1720–1779). Gold; diameter: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.). Inscribed: DEI . GRATIA . GEORGIVS . III . (George the Third, by the Grace of God); M.B.F.ET.H.REX.F.D.B.ET.L.D.S.R.I.A.T.ET.E.1761. ("Magnae Britanniae Franciae et Hiberniae Rex Fidei Defensor Brun et Lunebergen-sis Dux, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi-Thesaurius et Elector" and translates as "King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Luneberg, High Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.").
Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 3
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Richard Yeo first came to notice in 1746, when he produced the official medal for the battle of Culloden.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
- Measurements
- Diameter: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
- Material and technique
- gold
Design
- Inscriptions
- DEI . GRATIA . GEORGIVS . III . (George the Third, by the Grace of God); M.B.F.ET.H.REX.F.D.B.ET.L.D.S.R.I.A.T.ET.E.1761. ("Magnae Britanniae Franciae et Hiberniae Rex Fidei Defensor Brun et Lunebergen-sis Dux, Sacri Romani Imperii Archi-Thesaurius et Elector" and translates as "King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Luneberg, High Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.")
Identification
- Date recorded
- 1761
- Culture period
- England, George III, 1760-1820
- Maker recorded
- Richard Yeo (British, 1720–1779)
- Museum attribution
- Richard Yeo (British, 1720–1779)
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1969.209
- Published references
- Cleveland Museum of Art, and Emery May Norweb. English Gold Coins, Ancient to Modern Times, On Loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art from the Norweb Collection. [Catalog. 1968. p. 67
- Museum classification
- Coins
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
- Recorded
- Weight
- Research required
- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
- Research required
- Catalogue reference
- Research required
- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm the wider coin type and standard catalogue references against numismatic literature.