1 Guinea - George II Pattern (1727)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1727 |
| Denomination | 1 Guinea |
| Face value | £1.05 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Gold |
| Shape | Round |
| Obv. artist | John Croker |
| Rev. artist | John Ochs |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate portrait of King George II facing left, legend around.
GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA
Crowned quartered shield of arms on ornate scroll, legend and date around.
M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1727 1 Guinea - George II Pattern
The 1727 1 Guinea - George II Pattern is a collector 1 guinea coin, struck in gold. Reverse design: Crowned quartered shield of arms on ornate scroll, legend and date around.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1727 1 Guinea - George II Pattern worth?
No verified sale of the 1727 1 Guinea - George II Pattern has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
What is the 1727 George II pattern guinea?
A proof striking of the first young head guinea of George II, dated 1727, made to a higher finish than the coins struck for use. CoinVarieties records one graded NGC PF65 with very small lettering, catalogued as Wilson and Rasmussen 70 and Spink 3670.
How many 1727 proof guineas exist?
No number struck is recorded. The Royal Mint's own 1906 collection catalogue lists a George II proof guinea only for 1729, not 1727. The type is known chiefly from examples that have passed through auction.
How does the proof differ from the ordinary 1727 guinea?
It uses the same small-lettering young head and large shield as the currency coin of 1727, but with proof surfaces. The currency coins have an obliquely grained edge; the Royal Mint Museum's George II proof gold of 1728 and 1729 has a plain edge.
History and design
This entry is a proof of the first young head guinea of 1727, the type with very small lettering in the legends. CoinVarieties records an example graded NGC PF65, weighing 8.40 g, which it catalogues as Wilson and Rasmussen 70 and Spink 3670 and describes as rare.
No number struck is recorded. The Royal Mint's 1906 catalogue of its own collection lists George II gold proofs only for 1728 (half guinea), 1729 (guinea) and 1731 (five guineas), so the Mint's own collection had no 1727 proof guinea at that date. It is known chiefly from examples that have passed through auction.
The obverse is John Croker's young laureate head of George II facing left, with GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA in small letters. Croker was then the Mint's Chief Engraver. The reverse is the large crowned shield that the Royal Mint Museum credits to John Ochs, bearing the arms of England and Scotland, France, Ireland and Hanover, with the legend M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E and the date. On the 1727 small-lettering coins the shield is large and the crown small.
Collecting notes
Because the dies are those of the 1727 currency guinea, a proof must be judged on its surfaces and striking: mirrored fields, sharp lettering and full rims. A worn or cleaned currency coin can look bright, so a third-party grade or a documented auction record is the safest guide. The Royal Mint Museum's proof gold of 1728 and 1729 has plain edges, against the oblique graining of the currency pieces; check the edge of any example offered. The circulating coin is the small-lettering 1727 guinea.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Great Britain 1727 guinea Fr-339, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint, Vol. I Part I (Hocking, 1906), pages 158 to 159, Royal Mint Museum library (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint, Vol. I Part I (Hocking, 1906), page 163, proofs of George II, Royal Mint Museum library (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II proof guinea, 1729 (RMM 467), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II proof half-guinea, 1728 (RMM 471), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
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