Lot 2230
Great Britain. Crown, 1700. S.3474; ESC-97; Dav-3782. William III. Obverse; Third laureate draped bust of king by James Roettier, right. GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA Reverse; Crowned cruciform shield. Edge reads DECVS ET TVTAMEN ANNO REGNI DVODECIMO. Mint state with crisp edge and a gorgeous golden green tone. Very pleasing. NGC graded MS-62. Estimate Value $3,000 - 3,500
* William III was descended from the ancient house of Nassau in Germany and was the great-grandson of William the Silent prince of Orange. He was also (through his mother Henrietta Maria, the daughter of Charles I) the nephew of James II, and therefore, eventually on his marriage to Mary, James's son-in law and his nephew.
When James had come to the throne and begun to pursue his active Catholic measures, William first distanced himself, and then, afraid that James might actually tip the balance, secure a Catholic majority in Parliament, and thereby become an immediate ally of the French, decided to intervene. He responded to an invitation from seven English peers known as the 'Immortal seven' and he invaded England in 1688 in a bloodless coup. Parliament determined that by fleeing the country James had abdicated the crown, and he was no longer recognized as king in England or Scotland. As a consequence, William was offered joint sovereignty with Mary. Although common in the time of the Saxons there had been no joint rule in England for over 800 years.
William was a deeply serious man, with little or no sense of humor. When his popular wife died in 1694, William ruled alone until his death in 1702. He was tolerated by the public but not loved. He died as a result of a riding accident in February 1702 aged 51. His horse stumbled on a mole hill and threw William, breaking his collar bone. A fever set in, followed by pleurisy and pneumonia from which he died.
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