The 1798 Great Britain Spade Guinea is a gold coin of one guinea (21 shillings) struck under King George III. Weighing 8.3 grams and composed of 22-carat gold, the coin is nicknamed the “Spade Guinea” for the spade-shaped shield of arms on its reverse. The obverse features the laureate bust of George III facing right, a design that reflected Britain’s classical revival influences of the late 18th century.

This coin also connects to Australia’s early colonial history. In 1800, Governor Philip Gidley King issued the Proclamation of New South Wales, formally valuing a range of circulating coins to stabilize the colony’s chaotic currency system. The spade guinea, along with other British and foreign gold coins, was given an officially recognized worth in the proclamation. This demonstrates how gold guineas like the 1798 issue played a role not only in Britain’s economy but also in establishing monetary order in early Australia.

Grade: Extremely Fine