5 Guineas - George II Older portrait (1746–1753)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1746–1753 |
| Denomination | 5 Guineas |
| Face value | £5.25 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | 1891 |
| Composition | Gold (.9167) (917/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 41.900g · 1.2349 t oz |
| Diameter | 37.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | John Sigismund Tanner |
| Rev. artist | John Sigismund Tanner |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Older laureate portrait of King Geoirge II left, legend around.
Crowned quartered shield of arms, divided date above, legend 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 1746 5 Guineas - George II Older portrait
The 1746 5 Guineas - George II Older portrait is a circulating 5 guineas coin issued from 1746 to 1753, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 41.9g and measures 37mm across. Reverse design: Crowned quartered shield of arms, divided date above, legend around.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1891), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1746 5 Guineas - George II Older portrait worth?
No verified sale of the 1746 5 Guineas - George II Older portrait has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its gold content is worth about £3,700 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
Why does the 1746 five guineas say LIMA?
LIMA marks gold that the Royal Mint Museum says was mined in Peru. Wikipedia links it to Admiral Anson's voyage round the world. Writing about the matching guineas, the Royal Mint Museum says the gold was more likely brought home by the privateers Duke and Prince Frederick, who captured it from French ships out of Callao.
Was the 1753 five guineas the last?
Yes, for circulation. Wikipedia says George II's five guineas mark the last of the denomination, struck for the final time in 1753. Clayton records that Tanner made pattern five guineas in 1770 and 1773, but none were issued.
How many old head five guineas were struck?
No mintage is recorded for any of the three dates. CoinVarieties describes the 1746 LIMA coin as rare and calls the type, like all eighteenth-century five guineas, rare. Examples are held by the Royal Mint Museum and the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Is a George II five guineas legal tender?
No. Wikipedia records that all gold coins from before Victoria's reign were called in by Royal Proclamation on 22 November 1890 and demonetised from 28 February 1891.
How do I identify the 1746 5 Guineas - George II Older portrait?
Check the weight 41.9g and diameter 37mm and the metal (91.67% gold) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
George II's five guineas changed to an older portrait in 1746, and the type was struck in only three years: 1746, 1748 and 1753. Wikipedia records that these were the last five guineas ever issued. No more were made for currency, though Clayton notes that Tanner produced pattern five guineas under George III in 1770 and 1773.
All the 1746 coins carry LIMA under the king's head. Wikipedia connects the gold with Admiral Anson's voyage round the world. The Royal Mint Museum, discussing the LIMA guineas of 1745, says the gold was mined in Peru and more likely reached England through the privateers Duke and Prince Frederick, who took it from French ships sailing from Callao. No mintage is recorded for any of the three dates.
The obverse is the old laureate head of the king facing left. The Royal Mint Museum records that the older portraits of George II were the work of John Sigismund Tanner, who took over from the infirm John Croker in 1739 and became Chief Engraver in 1741.
The reverse is the single crowned shield of the reign, credited by the Royal Mint Museum to John Ochs, quartering England and Scotland, France, Hanover and Ireland, with the date split by the crown and M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E around. Wikipedia translates the titles as King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, Arch-Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.
The edge reads DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI with the regnal year: DECIMO NONO in 1746, VICESIMO SECVNDO in 1748 and VICESIMO SEXTO in 1753.
Varieties and errors
The LIMA mark is the only variety recorded for this portrait, and it appears on every 1746 coin. The 1748 and 1753 coins have no mark. The Royal Mint Museum's LIMA example weighs 41.88 g and the Fitzwilliam Museum's 41.90 g.
Collecting notes
Check that the regnal year on the edge matches the date, and look at the edge lettering and rim for filing, mount marks or repairs. On a 1746 coin, LIMA should sit cleanly below the truncation. The type followed the young head five guineas of 1729 to 1741.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- George II, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Five guineas (British coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Five Pounds and Five Guineas, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II five guineas, 1746, LIMA (RMM 462), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II, 'LIMA' gold 5 guineas (CM.5.1538-1933), Fitzwilliam Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1746 5 guineas, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1748 5 guineas, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Sovereign (British coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Five Pounds and Five Guineas, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
