Old coin

[ag1950]

I have an old coin I can't identify.
On one side it has a left facing bust wearing a wig and the words GEORGIVS III.DEI.GRATIA
On the reverse is a quartered shield with a crown,
1772 and the letters MBFETHREXFDBETLDSRIATETE
Any help gratefully appreciated

[JK2]

Based on an earlier question this seems to be a George lll penny - try googling George lll coins

[JK2]

All the George lll coins I can see seem to have Britannia on the back so I guess it isn't a penny or a half penny

[JK2]

It doesn't seem to be a coin. From your description it looks like it is a George lll gaming token - have a look at this on ebay, there are front & back photos of the token

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/george-111-token_W0QQite mZ250093834621QQcmdZViewItemQQssPageNameZRSS:B :SRCH:GB:101

[kempie]

It could be a Guinea...

http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/SE/SE3727.html

but this is guesswork without knowing the colour (i.e. metal) and size (diameter) of the "coin".


As an aside, the Latin motto (highly abbreviated on the reverse) reads:

GEORGIVS . III . DEI . GRATIA .
George III by the grace of God

M . B . F . ET . H . REX
King of Great Britain, France and Ireland,

F . D
Defender of the Faith,

B . ET . L . D
Duke of Brunswick and Lueneburg,

S . R . I . A . ET . E
Arch-Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire

[JK2]

Well found Kempie

[kempie]

...although I am slightly wary of the stated "left facing bust".

I think all George III coins were minted with a right- facing bust (perhaps to differentiate them from coins issued by his predecessor & grandfather, George II, which did face left).

[kempie]

JK2 - that gaming token you found is actually based on a real issue of post-1787 Guinea and Half-Guinea (known as Spade Guineas) but with a date which was much earlier than the reign of George III, in this case 1701, and fake inscription as a safeguard against charges of counterfeiting...

Spade Guinea versus Gaming Token

[JK2]

Depends what is meant by left facing. Facing to the left on the coin or - if the person is turned to the left & you are looking at them then they are facing right on the coin - if you can follow me?