Collection record · Small worlds
Five Guineas: William III (obverse); Four Shields and Lion of Nassau (reverse)
The collection record classifies this work as coins. It is dated 1701. Recorded culture or place: England, William III, 1694-1702.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Five Guineas: William III (obverse); Four Shields and Lion of Nassau (reverse)
- Date
- 1701
- Culture / origin
- England, William III, 1694-1702
- Materials and technique
- gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 3.7 cm (1 7/16 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1969.202
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
There were three types used on the five guinea coin of William III, who continued to reign long after the death of Mary. As hammered coinage was still in circulation along with the mill coins, the government decided to call in all the remaining hammered pieces in 1695, completing the reform of the coinage. This affected mostly the silver coinage. Gold was gradually reduced until the value of the guinea, when set against the silver coinage, was 21 shillings and 6 pence. The guinea finally settled at 21 shillings.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · The Norweb Collection · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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