GOLDEN ARTWORKS

Collectors want important coin series. Coins from third world countries are not sought after nearly as much as coins from important countries. Great Britain and its colonies eventually evolved into the British Empire, the world's largest in history. The famous saying, the sun never set on the British Empire, helps define the scale of global demand from collectors and investors.

Our focus for this work is both on the Five Guineas and then Five Pounds series dating from its inception with Charles II in 1668 to our finishing point in 2022 with the current issue of the Five Pounds for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. From 1668 until 1777, the series is called 5 Guineas. None were made again until 1820 and then the regal coin was named 5 Pounds. With the new 5 Pounds series, the decision was made to mint these largely as Proof presentation pieces for Royalty and VIP. Only in 1887, 1893, and 1902 was the 5 Pounds ever made for commerce.

Large grand gold coins of centuries gone by are the ultimate treasures. The most important of all coins in the world are the Great Britain 5 Guineas and 5 Pounds. 

It is the King of Coins because it is the world's largest gold coin ever made for any significant period of time for commerce. 

They weigh an impressive 1.35 ounce (41.75 grams) of .9167 fine gold.

Rare gold coins have always been considered to be one of the premier collectibles of the world and a precious storehouse of wealth. However, there is something even more precious than rare gold coins. That is, Proof Rare Gold Coins. Proof coins are the ultimate in coins. These great works of art were specially made for royalty. They were never intended to be used in commerce. The special process of making Proof coins involves striking the planchet (an unfinished disk of the proper size) with higher than normal pressure by the die press, which produces a much more sharply detailed impression. Also, the planchet itself is highly polished so that when the process is complete, the Proof coin sparkles like a diamond reflecting light like a mirror. 

The US went off the gold standard in 1933, taking the rest of the world with it around the same time. Decades later, many different countries started making Proof coins for collectors. For the most part, coin collectors are not interested in these modern coins. The ultimate in Proof coins is Gold Proof sets. 

 Great Britain is the first country in the world to use Proof technology and the first in the world to make a Proof set. With US gold Proof sets of comparable quality starting at $500,000., the Proof sets of Great Britain are a bargain by comparison.  Only two countries in the entire world made Gold Proof sets prior to modern times, the US and Great Britain. Despite the much smaller supply of Great Britain Proof Gold sets, they sell for far less than United States Proof Gold sets. This enormous gap in value for coins of comparable rarity is due entirely to the difference in the maturity of the United States and Great Britain coin markets. World coin buyers have finally awakened and realize that Great Britain Proof Gold sets are a tremendous bargain. As a result prices are rising and will likely rise far higher.    Proof coins and sets are one of the world's largest collectibles market with BILLIONS of dollars annually in sales. Modern Proof coins have brought tremendous sums of money. For instance a 1992 Chinese Proof coin sold at public auction for over $1 million. 

Victorian proof sets present an amazing opportunity. There are 3 different Victorian sets. 1839 400 minted, 1887 and 1893 just shy of 800 minted. All 3 are beautiful designs. By virtue of comparative rarity, the 1839 should be just 2x the price of the 1887 and 1893. However due to a major investment syndicate buying up the 1839 sets, the current price gap is 10x. This presents an incredible opportunity because the 1887 and 1893 are so undervalued. It is widely expected that the same  investment syndicate that is responsible for seeing the 1839 sets rise such an incredible amount is going to do the same with the 1887 and 1893 sets. Therefore,  it is our mission to buy as many 1887 and 1893 sets as possible before the promotion begins. 

1893 set consists of:

4 GOLD COINS 
5 Pounds (1.2 ounce gold)
2 Pounds (half ounce gold)
sovereign (quarter ounce gold)
half sovereign (.12 ounce gold)

6 SILVER COINS
Crown (large silver coin)
Half crown
Florin
Shilling
6 Pence
3 Pence

The image on this Gold 100 Franc coin dates back to the French Revolution. At that time, the Republic needed new motifs for its new currency, because naturally, the traditional royal insignias were no longer suitable for the Republican coins. After a contest in 1791, the artist Augustin Dupré was commissioned to design new  images.

Until then it had been traditional to depict the royal crest on the reverse of the coins. As an alternative Dupré designed a winged Genius writing the French constitution on a tablet of law; accordingly, this motif was called "Constitutionnel." The Genius, which in ancient Rome had been regarded as a type of tutor, stood for the genius that had enlightened the creators of the French constitution.

On the right side of the Genius a fasces is depicted, with a hand taking an oath on top. In ancient Rome, fasces had been attributed to high officials; since then they symbolized the authority of magistrates. The hand stood for the oath taken on the Republic’s constitution. The cock, depicted on the left side of the Genius, has always been the epitome of vigilance. The Latin word for cock was "gallus," which is why the bird became the symbol for French – that is Gallic – alertness.

The Constitutionnel was thus a thoroughly Republican design. It reappeared whenever a new republic was declared in France. This happened again in 1870, when the Third French Republic (until 1940) was declared after the breakdown of the Second French Empire.