Description
George III of the House of Hanover, King of the United Kingdom 1760-1820 AD, Gold Half Guinea (4.17g, 21mm), 1804, New coinage issue, Tower mint, London. Obverse: Seventh smaller, laureate bust of King George III facing to the right, legend surrounds, “GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA”. Reverse: Coat of Arms of King George III as the King of the United Kingdom (1801-1816), date below, legend surrounds, “BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR”. Bull EGC-849; S-3737. A little soft obverse strike and with a few light marks, otherwise very attractive and the reverse shield very bold, details near Extremely Fine.
The Latin legend is the royal titulature of George III, beginning on the obverse and continuing on the reverse, it is stated in full as “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 inscription 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”.
