The outbreak of the wars against Napoleon and the general unrest within Europe during the latter part of King George III’s reign led to a rise in the price of gold. This prevented the gold guinea, Britain’s predecessor to the sovereign, from being struck for use within Britain after 1799. Only half guineas and third guineas were minted after this year.
 

However, in 1813 one final - and exceptional - minting of gold guineas took place. As the Duke of Wellington’s army advanced through Spain, liberating it from French control, the locals would not accept Spanish silver dollars or indeed any Bank of England paper money - they insisted on payment in gold for any provisions the British army required. 
 

The 1813 gold guinea was a one-off minting of only 80,000 coins, a tiny mintage for any British gold coin. These were sent to the Duke of Wellington to assist in the purchase of supplies for his army as he tried to defeat Napoleon. They were never released into circulation in Britain, although invariably some may have found their way back there. It is likely though that most were indeed spent by Wellington in securing provisions for his army, and the European recipients to whom they were paid would most likely have melted them down for the value of the gold in them.
 

So, Britain’s last guinea is in all likelihood one of its rarest!
 

This is also a coin that is of great interest to collectors because it is the only one ever issued with this portrait of King George III, and this reverse. It is a type struck only once.
 

We are delighted to be able to offer our customers one of these very last gold guineas ever struck. Minted in 1813, only 80,000 were struck specifically for the Duke of Wellington in his campaign to defeat Napoleon Bonaparte, hence it is known as the ‘Military’ Guinea. 
 

Sought-after by those who love history because it is a gold coin with a direct link to one of the most important events in British history, and also by serious collectors because it is not only a last ever date but also a one-year type, this is an important coin that would make the centrepiece of any collection.