The guinea was Britain's premier gold coin for 150 years, and it is worth far more than a lump of metal to the right buyer. We weigh the gold, then read the monarch, date and type — because a guinea's real value often sits well above its bullion floor.
A worn common date is near its gold; a sharp early strike, a scarce year or a two or five-guinea piece can be a serious collector's coin. We tell you which you have, and quote the higher basis. Written valuation. Free insured postage. Paid in 72 hours.
The guinea was Britain's leading gold coin from 1663 until 1814, struck from 22-carat crown gold and taking its name from the Guinea region of West Africa, the source of much of the gold used to make it. A full guinea weighs about 8.38 grams and holds roughly 7.69 grams — about a quarter of an ounce — of pure gold. That gold gives every genuine guinea a floor value that moves with the market.
But a guinea is an antique coin, not a modern bullion piece, and that is the crucial difference when you sell. Above the gold floor sits a numismatic premium that can dwarf the metal — set by which monarch struck it, the exact date, the type and, above all, the grade. Our job is to establish both figures: the gold content as a floor, and the collector value as an object, and then quote you whichever is higher and explain why.
The guinea was issued in a family of denominations across its 150-year life. We buy them all, single coins or collections, loose or mounted:
| Coin | Face value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Five guineas | 105 shillings | The largest and rarest; a major collector's coin |
| Two guineas | 42 shillings | Scarce; strong premiums for good dates |
| One guinea | 21 shillings* | The standard coin, including the spade guinea |
| Half guinea | 10 shillings 6d | Common in circulation; widely collected |
| Third & quarter guinea | 7s / 5s 3d | Small fractional gold coins |
*The guinea originally passed at 20 shillings but its value floated with the gold price; from 1717 it was officially fixed at 21 shillings (£1.05), the value that gave rise to the enduring "guinea" unit of account.
A guinea's obverse carries the reigning monarch, which places it in one of these periods. The date and the finer detail then narrow it down, and that is where much of the value is decided:
Guinea production ended in 1814, and the coin was formally demonetised in the Great Recoinage of 1816 and replaced by the gold Sovereign. The word "guinea" lived on as a unit of account — 21 shillings — for professional fees, racehorses and works of art well into the twentieth century.
Two guineas of the same monarch can be worth very different sums. When we grade your coin, these are the factors that move the figure above its metal:
The 19th century produced huge numbers of brass imitation spade guineas — card markers and gaming counters that copy the design but contain no gold. They are worth very little, and people are often surprised to learn a "gold guinea" in a drawer is one of these. The reverse legend, the weight and a simple gold test settle it quickly. If in doubt, email a clear photo of both sides and we will tell you honestly, at no cost, before you send anything.
Guineas were frequently mounted — soldered into brooches, hung as pendants or set in rings — and we buy them mounted or loose. A mount tends to lower the numismatic premium because of the soldering and any edge damage, but the gold of both coin and mount is always there as a floor, so you never lose the metal value. Please do not clean or polish a guinea before sending: on an antique coin, brightness from cleaning is a fault, not an improvement, and it can erase the premium. Handle by the edge, leave old toning alone, and send the coin as it is. If your guinea is part of a wider group of coins, our coin valuation guide explains the whole process, and for other gold coins see sell gold Britannia coins.
Tell us roughly what you have — "a George III spade guinea" or "a mounted half guinea" is enough. We email a free prepaid, tracked and insured label the same working day.
Wrap the coin in tissue, keep it away from other coins that could scratch it, and pack securely. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the moment the courier scans it.
We email a unique parcel code and your opening time. Your parcel is opened on camera and photographed before a specialist identifies the monarch, date and type.
Gold content weighed, grade assessed, any collector premium set out. Accept what you want to sell — return the rest free. Payment within 72 hours, or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free label →A guinea has a floor set by its gold — a full guinea is 22-carat crown gold weighing about 8.38 grams, containing roughly 7.69 grams (about a quarter ounce) of pure gold. Above that floor, most guineas carry a collector premium that depends on the monarch, the exact date, the type and the grade. A worn common-date George III guinea sits nearer its gold value; a sharp early date, a rare year or a two or five-guinea piece can be worth many times its metal. We weigh the coin, identify the type and grade it, then quote whichever basis is higher.
The spade guinea is the popular name for the later George III guinea of 1787–1799, whose shield-shaped reverse resembles a garden spade. Genuine gold spade guineas are collectable and worth their gold plus a premium according to date and grade. Be aware, though, that vast numbers of brass imitation "spade guineas" were made in the 19th century as gaming counters and card markers — these are base metal, not gold, and have little value. We can tell a genuine gold spade guinea from a brass counter immediately; if unsure, email a photo.
Historic guineas are not treated in the same way as modern sterling legal-tender bullion coins such as the gold Sovereign and gold Britannia. Separate tax and chattel rules may apply, so check current HMRC guidance or take professional advice. Fair Vintage does not provide tax advice, but we provide the written sale figures you need.
No — never clean an antique gold coin. Unlike a modern bullion coin whose value is mostly metal, a guinea's premium rests on its surfaces and originality, and cleaning leaves fine hairlines and an unnatural brightness that a collector spots at once and that can wipe out the premium. Even gentle polishing does harm. Handle the coin by its edge, leave any old cabinet toning alone, and send it exactly as it is. We assess it as found and explain how condition bears on the figure.
Yes. Guineas were often soldered into brooches, mounted as pendants or set into rings, and we buy them mounted or loose. A mount can affect the numismatic premium — soldering and edge damage reduce the collector value — but the gold content of both coin and mount is always there as a floor. We assess the coin as a coin and the mount as gold, value them together, and never break a piece up without telling you which basis gives the higher figure.
Request your free label today. Monarch, date and type identified, gold content weighed, any collector premium set out. Written valuation. Paid within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
Also see: Coin valuation · Gold Sovereign valuation · Sell gold Britannia coins