Collection record · Small worlds
Guinea: George III (obverse); Shield of Arms (reverse)
The collection record classifies this work as coins. It is dated 1761. Recorded culture or place: England, George III, 1760-1820.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Guinea: George III (obverse); Shield of Arms (reverse)
- Date
- 1761
- Culture / origin
- England, George III, 1760-1820
- Materials and technique
- gold
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 2.4 cm (15/16 in.)
- Artist / maker
- Richard Yeo (British, 1720–1779)
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1969.209
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
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.
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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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