Lot 348
Great Britain. Crown, 1700. S-3474; Dav-3782b; KM-494.3. 29.93 grams. William III, 1694-1702. Third Bust type; third harp. DVODECIMO edge date. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of William right. Reverse: Crowned cruciform arms, lion escutcheon at center, and divided date. A nearly perfect strike, with only a handful of light adjustment marks evident. Satiny to glossy devices; the obverse field reflective, the reverse with prooflike luster. Remarkable preservation, nearly pristine surfaces shimmering with cartwheel luster under a medium pinkish gray tone, and blessed by an iridescence of other muted colors, tending to the blue-greens. Among the finest known. Choice Uncirculated. This coin came from a small group of about 20 halfcrowns and crowns of 1698-1700 found in an old safe in London years ago; one of the halfcrowns was similar to this beautiful coin but was graded MS66 by NGC for another owner. This was the nicest crown in the little "find" and few exist to equal it. NGC graded MS-64.
Queen Mary's death in 1694 left the royal couple without heirs and so Parliament, fearing a Catholic claimant to the throne, passed in 1701 the Acts of Settlement to provide that, if William III and Princess Anne (later Queen Anne) should die without heirs, the succession to the throne should pass to Sophia, Electress of Hanover and granddaughter of James I, or to her heirs, only if they were Protestants. Queen Mary's sister, Anne, ascended to England's throne after the death of William. Although Queen Anne (1702-1714) gave birth to seventeen children, none of them lived long enough to survive her. In fact, Anne's last surviving child, the Duke of Gloucester, died the same year as this coin was made -- 1700. So the succession strictures went into effect, placing the House of Hanover at one with England and English history for the next century.
Another royal passing for the year that would have profound dynastic impact was that of Charles III of Spain. With him ended the Spanish line of Hapsburgs. The lineage of the eventual ascendant to the throne, Philip V, came through Louis XIV of France. Now a French Bourbon would sit astride the Spanish throne.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
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| Realized $5,750 |
