England · Charles II (1660–1685)
Angleterre Guinée — Charles II, Premier Buste (1663)
About this coin
Obverse
The king’s early laureate portrait faces right, with the royal name and title around.
Script: Latin
Lettering
CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA
Translation
Charles II, by the grace of God.
Reverse
Four crowned national shields form a cross around interlinked Cs. Sceptres fill the angles and the date flanks the upper crown.
Script: Latin
Lettering
MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX
Translation
King of Great Britain, France and Ireland.
Mints and mintmarks
Royal Mint at the Tower of London.
Engraver and mintmaster marks
Plain below the portrait, or elephant for African-company gold.
Identification and varieties
The guinea began as a twenty-shilling gold coin. The later fixed twenty-one-shilling value should not be projected back onto the original 1663 issue. The elephant is a bullion-provenance emblem, not a separate mint.
Measurements
Actual specimen weights vary with manufacture and wear.
Years, mintmarks and variants
Tap an issue for details and places to find it.
| Year | Mint | Mintmark | Variant | Mintage | Notes | Find this issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1663 | London (Tower) | None | First bust; plain below | |||
| 1663 | London (Tower) | Elephant | First bust; company emblem below |