Description
George III of the House of Hanover, King of the United Kingdom 1760-1820 AD, Silver Shilling (5.68g, 23.50mm), 1817. Obverse: Laureate head of King George III facing to the right, date below, legend surrounds, “GEOR: III D:G: BRITT: REX F:D:”. Reverse: Royal Shield of Arms of the Hanoverian Sovereign as the King of England and Hanover (1801-1816) within ornate mantle and surmounted by imperial crown, buckled garter surrounds bearing the motif “HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE”. Spink-3791; Bull-2195; Esc-1632. Deeply cabinet toned with plenty of underlying brilliance, few spots, else good Extremely Fine, reverse Extremely Fine.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Geōrgius Tertius, Deī Grātiā, Britanniārum Rēx, Fideī Dēfēnsor”, with an English translation of “George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of the British People, Defender of the Faith”. The Reverse legend on the shield garter is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter and is stated in full in Middle French / Anglo-Norman as “honi soit qui mal y pense”, with an English meaning of “shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”.
