Charles II AD 1660-1685 Gold Guinea AD 1669 Wonderful Red/Purple Tone

Charles II AD 1660-1685 Gold Guinea, AD 1669

3rd Laureate bust with elephant below / Cruciform of shields

S3342, 25mm, 8.31g

With wonderful reddish purple tone, much bolder in hand than the photo suggests. A most attractive example.

Charles II was the eldest son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria. Famous for hiding in an oak tree whilst being pursued by Cromwell’s troops before fleeing to the Continent. He was recalled in  AD 1660 after the fall of the Protectorate. The Restoration commenced and although he married Catherine of Braganza he bore no legitimate heir. He is perhaps better known as  the Merrie Monarch, for his love of pleasure and for his number of illegitimate offspring many of whom latter became part of the aristocracy.

The coinage was reformed early in his reign with the demise of hammered coinage which was replaced by high quality machine made milled coinage.  New gold coinage introduced included the guinea which was first issued in AD 1663 and which continued in circulation until the Napoleonic wars nearly 140 years later.