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Lot 342
Great Britain. Crown, 1692/2. S-3433; ESC-84. Large "2" of date over inverted "2." William and Mary, 1688-1694. Conjoined heads of William and Mary right, William laureate. Reverse: Crowned cruciform arms, lion in cartouche at center; linked or joined WM's in angles. QVINTO edge date. The strike is even and excellent, all major details well defined, with only a few letters of the legends showing any softness. Luster remains evident beneath bright, medium blue-gray toning. Rare, more so in this grade! NGC graded AU-55.
This dual monarchy produced the rarest coins of their century, with crowns struck in only two years, 1691 and 1692. This curious "overdate" is rated R3, extremely rare, by ESC's Alan Rayner. The cataloguers have seen only a few truly Uncirculated examples of this crown, over many years. Any grade close to MS is also very, very rare. This a wonderfully preserved example -- one of the finest to be found in terms of eye appeal.
This wonderful crown, and the others of this era, are mementos of a fascinating period in British history, when the Churchill family came to prominence and the unwritten constitution faced a series of challenges involving succession. In the mid-1680s, King James II revealed his allegiance to Catholicism and the ancient "battle" over religion in England resumed, to the general distress. Several years of chaos ensued, ending in the king's exile to France and, in effect, an empty throne. It is known to history as the Bloodless Revolution. Parliament searched for a blood heir to majesty and found Prince William of Orange, a tiny principality near Avignon. He was nephew of both Charles II and James II. He had visited England since 1670 and was keenly aware of his English lineage. As we have noted in other lots, in 1677 he had married Mary, daughter of James II, who in fact had objected to the marriage as it was a Protestant alliance but accepted it as politically advantageous to him at the time. When England found itself without a monarch, the Dutch prince "invaded" English shores but was more welcomed than challenged, for the pair were discovered to be ideal, healing the nation of religious difficulties by the return of Protestantism. Mary was back home, though married to a man whom the British did not especially like and they nicknamed him "the little Dutchman" after his short stature and taciturn disposition. The pair ruled largely in name, for the age of politics had arrived in England and decisions were made by Parliament and whispers in privileged ears. William came to miss his former home but the British, French and Dutch were at war and so visits became impossible. Mary died of smallpox and this took a further toll on the king's poor health. It became apparent that the Princess Anne, pushed aside during the Bloodless Revolution as niece of Chares II, would become the next monarch, and this became reality when William's horse stumbled over a mole-hill while the king was riding at Hampton Court in February 1702. He broke his collar-bone and expired within two weeks. Anne claimed the throne that should have been hers in 1689 but she was not adept at the new politics and relied upon the advice of Sarah and John Churchill to act as figurehead of the nation. Her health was also poor and at first she was not popular, but she vowed to the people to preserve the Church of England and slowly gained acceptance until the great victory was won at the Battle of Blenheim in 1704, under the Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill. The Churchill family was rewarded with a great estate, but court animosities ended the queen's friendship with them. Peace came with France at long last, political union occurred with Scotland in 1707, and the queen's marriage to Prince George of Denmark was generally happy. Poor Queen Anne suffered illnesses caused by extreme overweight, lost her husband in 1708, and experienced the worst fate of any parent, the death of each of her numerous children. Her reign is remembered as glorious and golden, an age of plenty and victory. With her died an era, the Stuart line, and the remnant power of monarchy.
Estimated Value $4,000 - 4,500.
Ex Cheshire Collection (5/30 - 6/1/05), lot 2231.
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