Expert: Brad Swain - 2/4/2010

Question
hi Brad

just wondering if you knew name of coin and it history.

i found it while renovating old house

Answer
Hi Robert, what size and metal is it?
It may be a brass 'spade guinea' token that resembled the British gold coins minted between 1787 and 1799. The shield was spade shaped. All genuine King George III (1760-1820) guineas weigh 8.35 grams, contain .2461 of an ounce of gold, and have a diameter of 24 millimeters. Many brass imitations, altered in design and date so they couldn't be prosecuted for counterfeiting, of this coin were used as gaming counters. They are easily distinguished as the legends are incorrect. The correct wording on the reverse of the genuine guinea is M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E (date). You might also try this site: http://www.24carat.co.uk/medallioninmemoryofthegoodolddaysframe.html . You might try Ebay.com for similar pieces for comparison.
Brad