Designed by sculptor Anthony Smith ARBS.
The Royal Mint has struck a 2013 UK £2 coin to mark the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the first striking of the guinea coin; a UK coin first as the anniversary of a circulation coin is celebrated on another.
The guinea enjoyed a rich history as the principal British gold coin issued from 1663 until the end of the Napoleonic wars. Originally struck in 1663 as a 20-shilling coin, the guinea`s value fluctuated with the price of gold, reaching some 30 shillings by the reign of William and Mary.
Designed by sculptor, Anthony Smith ARBS, the reverse of the £2 coin is inspired by the heraldic shield of the Royal Arms used on the well-known Spade Guinea of George III. The edge inscription WHAT IS A GUINEA? `TIS A SPLENDID THING is taken from a collection of odes and lyrics by Stephen Kemble from 1809. The inscription on the reverse of the coin, ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLDEN GUINEA refers to the fact that the guinea was only ever struck in gold.
Artist Comment
Guinea £2 Coin (2013 Commemorative Commission sculpture)
by Anthony Smith
Anthony Smith was born in Scotland in 1984 and grew up in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He fell…
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