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George II, 1727-1760
George II, the only son of George I, succeeded to the throne upon the
death of his father in 1727. Born in Hanover, he was almost as German as
his father, who actually was not even able to speak English when he
first became king.
In 1741, the death of the Emperor Charles VI brought on the War of
the Austrian Succession. George II, as a Hanoverian prince, took the
side of Maria Theresa and placed the safety and interest of Hanover
above those of England. Though a weak king, George was the last British
ruler to lead troops on the battlefield. During his reign, the Seven
Years' War laid the foundation of the British Empire in India and
Canada.
Under George II, all hammered gold coins were called in and declared
to be no longer current, having been diminished by filing, clipping and
wear over the years. As to milled coins, there was an all too frequent
practice of filing the edges of milled money and then imitating the
reeding with a file. In 1739, new dies were made for every denomination
of coin that used curved lines on the edges, making the much more
difficult to imitate than reeded edges.
The Gold Coins of George II
Five Guinea value 100 shillings, wt. 41.88 grams
1741, "Young head", London Mint, EF
Engraved by Johan Croker.
Five Guinea value 100 shillings, wt. 41.88 grams
1741, "Young head", London Mint, EF
 Five
Guinea value 100 shillings, wt. 41.90 grams
1753, "Old head", London Mint, AU
Engraved by Johann Tanner, this was the last time this denomination was
struck.
Five Guinea value 100 shillings, wt. 41.94 grams
1753, "Old head", London Mint, AU
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