Ancestors to the modern-day Pound coin go on sale for £1,395

London – The East India Company has released a very small limited edition of 100 ‘Bicentenary Guinea and Sovereign’ collection sets to the public. Each set contains one 2016 Guinea and one 2017 Sovereign for the price of £1,395 ($1,953.00 USD).

The exclusive quarter-ounce proof collection, struck in 22-carat gold, contains modern releases of The East India Company 2016 Guinea (featuring a struck-on-the-day mark) and The Royal Mint’s Benedetto Pistrucci’s designed 2017 Sovereign.

The 2016 Guinea is minted to the exact same specification as its predecessor and features the famous ‘spade’ Guinea motif taken from the last circulating Guinea, issued between 1787 and 1799 by King George III. Each coin carries a ‘CC’ punch mark, denoting their striking exactly 200 years to the day since the 1816 Great Re-coinage Act was issued. Only 300 of these coins were ever struck.

The 2017 Sovereign was produced by the Royal Mint with tools remastered from Pistrucci’s 1817 originals, ensuring that the iconic design of St. George slaying the Dragon is portrayed in its original glory. A garter surrounds Pistrucci’s famous motif.

Before the Guinea, gold coins were made by hand, struck into place by a hammer, making them irregular in size and susceptible to clipping (the illegal practice of shaving the edge of a coin, punishable by death).

With the introduction of the machine struck Guinea under King Charles II, British coinage would be transformed and future Guineas and Sovereigns would be struck by machines, milled to prevent clipping and produced to regular sizes and weight and so were considered purer as a result.

“This is a unique opportunity to acquire the two most iconic forerunners of our modern-day currency. Their contribution to British coinage history and our international trading heritage cannot be underestimated. Trusted by merchants across the world they were loaded on to The East India Company’s ships and journeyed to distant countries to be traded for exotic luxuries such as spices, tea and fine silk,” comments Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and CEO of The East India Company. “The new 12-sided pound coin continues the evolution of what is regarded by many as the world’s oldest living currency. Using new technology to improve the security of a coin is at the very heart of the Guinea story.”

Each set is presented in The East India Company luxury presentation box, accompanied by a numbered scroll of authenticity certifying the two coins and historical reference information.