George III milled coinage

Early George 1st and 2nd coins moved to new page

George 1st & 2nd gold and silver coins

George III was the third Hanoverian king of Great Britain. During his reign, Britain lost its American colonies but emerged as a leading power in Europe. He suffered from recurrent fits of madness and after 1810, his son acted as regent.

George III was born on 4 June 1738 in London, son of Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. He became heir to the throne when his father died in 1751, succeeding his grandfather George II in 1760. He was the first Hanoverian monarch to use English as his first language. In 1761, George married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and they enjoyed a happy marriage, with 15 children.

George chose his mentor the Earl of Bute as his first chief minister. He was a poor choice, isolating George from senior politicians. Effective government became almost impossible, and George was increasingly vilified. The instability following Bute's resignation in 1763 did little to solve the crown's financial difficulties, made worse by the Seven Years' War. In 1770, George appointed Lord North as his first minister. Although an effective administrator, North's government was dominated by disagreements with the American colonists over British attempts to levy taxes on them. War began in 1775 and was prolonged in 1779, at the king's insistence, to prevent copycat protests elsewhere. The British defeat in 1781 prompted North to resign.

In 1783, North and the prominent Whig politician Fox formed a coalition government. Their plans to reform the East India Company gave George the chance to regain popularity. He forced the bill's defeat in Parliament, and the two resigned. In their place George appointed William Pitt the Younger. The combination of Pitt's skill and war with France in 1793 strengthened George's position, but disagreements over emancipation of the Catholics - Pitt was in favour and George vehemently opposed - led to Pitt's resignation in 1801.

The American war, its political aftermath and family quarrels put great strain on George. After serious bouts of illness in 1788 - 1789 and 1801, thought now to be caused by porphyria, he became permanently deranged in 1810. The Prince of Wales (later George IV) became regent.

George remained ill until his death at Windsor Castle on 29 January 1820. In 1801, under the Act of Union Great Britain and Ireland were united into a single nation - the United Kingdom. George was thus the first king of the new nation.

Guinea

1777 George III milled gold full guinea (21 shillings)

8.37g, 24.8mm

Half Guinea

• 1st Laureate Bust
• Diameter: 20,00 mm
• Weight: 4,20 gr
• 91.6% Gold

• 5th Laureate Bust - "Spade-shaped Shield"
• Diameter: 21,00 mm
• Weight: 4,20 gr
• 91.6% Gold

• 6th Laureate Bust - "Shield in Garter"
• Diameter: 21,00 mm
• Weight: 4,20 gr
• 91.6% Gold

1790 George III milled gold half guinea

4.08g,20mm dia

1762 George III milled gold half guinea - love token

2.08g,15.44mm

Stunning 1777 George III milled gold half guinea

4.20g,20.61mm

1789 George III milled gold half guinea

4.2g, 20.7mm

1778 George III milled gold half guinea

4.2 g, 20.5mm

Third Guinea

• Laureate Bust - Legend "FIDEI DEFENSOR + BRITANIARUM REX"
• Diameter: 17,00 mm
• Weight: 2,80 gr
• Gold

• Laureate Bust - Legend "·MAG·BRI·FR·ET·HIB·REX·"
• Diameter: 17,00 mm
• Weight: 2,80 gr
• Gold

Neat relic - 1804 George III milled gold 1/3 guinea forgery

1804 George III milled gold 1/3rd guinea

2.82g, 17.07mm

1806 George III milled gold 1/3rd guinea

2.80g, 17.11mm

1804 George III milled gold third guinea

2.76g,17mm

1800 George III milled gold third guinea

2.76g,17mm

1797 George III milled gold third guinea

2.82g, 17.07mm

1801 George III milled gold 1/3rd guinea

2.80g,17mm

1797 George III milled gold third guinea

2.72g, 16.3mm

1808 George III milled gold 1/3 guinea

2.81g, 16.99mm

Quarter Guinea

• Laureate Bust
• Diameter: 16,00 mm
• Weight: 2,10 gr
• Gold

1762 George III milled gold qtr guinea

15.7mm, 2.06g

1762 George III milled gold 1/4 guinea

2.13g,25.72mm

1762 George III milled gold qtr quinea

16mm, 2.04g

1762 George III milled gold qtr guinea love token

2.07g,15.35

18thC George III milled gold qtr guinea

0.79g, 15.1mm

Gold Sovereign

Obverse: right facing laureate head; legend, "GEORGIUS D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F:D:"; the date is at the bottom of the coin.

                   Reverse: Pistrucci's St. George and the dragon inside a garter. Note that St. George is holding a broken lance with a streamer flowing from his helmet. Legend, "HONI. SOIT. QUI. MAL. Y. PENSE." with a small incuse B.P on the left ground below the broken lance and an incuse WWP in the buckle of the garter, these being respectively the initials of Benedetto Pistrucci, the Chief Engraver and William Wesley Pole, the Master of the Mint.

7.98 gram and its diameter as 22 mm.

Gold half Sovereign

1817 George III milled gold half sovereign

3.96g,19.26mm

1817 George III milled gold half sovereign

3.95g,19.44mm

Bank tokens

1816 George III milled silver half crown (30 pence) size comparison with sixpence

1816 George III milled silver half crown (30 pence)

1817 George III milled silver half crown (30 pence)

1818 George III milled silver half crown (30 pence)

1819 George III milled silver half crown (30 pence)

1781

1792

1795

1779

1800

George III milled silver 1 pence

1772

George III milled silver 2 pence

1762

1763

1800

George III milled silver 3 pence

1815

Includes forgeries

1816

1817

1818

1819

1820