BRITISH, Stuart (Restored). Charles II, 1660-1685. Five Guineas 1668 (Gold, 35 mm, 42.67 g, 6 h), Elephant (Company of Royal Adventurers of England Trading in Africa) type and heavy issue (658,5 Grains), first bust. Tower (London) mint. CAROLVS•II• - DEI•GRATIA Laureate bust of Charles II to right; elephant standing left beneath. Rev. MAG• - BR•FRA• - ET•HIB• - REX•16-68• Crowned cruciform shields, scepters in angles, royal cipher central. Edge insciption: **DECVS•ET•TVTAMEN•ANNO REGNI•VICESIMO QVINTO. King 91-92. KM 430.2. Murdoch II, 498. Schneider II, 423/-. SCBC 3329. First year of issue of this rare and famous large gold coin. In NGC encapsulation, graded UNC Details. Very minor traces of mounting, otherwise, extremely fine.



Under Charles II, innovations were introduced into the English monetary system whose importance can scarcely be overstated. The impressive Five Guineas piece offered here stands as a compelling testament to these changes and to the dawn of a new era in English coinage.

With the introduction of milled coinage beginning in 1662, machine-struck coins of remarkable precision and refined engraving became the standard. These issues also incorporated advanced security features - most notably edge lettering - designed to combat clipping and forgery. In parallel, a new denomination was established: the Guinea, first introduced under Charles II and soon to become one of the defining gold coins of the realm. The present piece represents the highest denomination of this series, a coin of considerable intrinsic and symbolic value.

The name ‘Guinea’ itself derives from the West African coast - then known as Guinea - renowned for its abundant gold resources. The elephant depicted beneath the king’s bust alludes to the ‘Company of Royal Adven turers of England Trading into Africa’, an enterprise actively supported by Charles II through substantial investment. Guinea coins bearing the elephant or elephant-and-castle mark signal that the gold used for their production was sourced through this company’s activities, which encompassed both gold extraction and the transatlantic slave trade.

This coin is therefore significant on multiple levels: as the highest denomination - representing a small fortune at the time - as a product of groundbreaking minting technology, and as a tangible artifact of Britain’s expanding global and colonial reach.