Death of Queen Mary II
James Roettiers (1663–1698)
Category
Coins and medals
Date
1694 - 1695
Materials
Copper
Measurements
50 mm (Diameter)
Place of origin
Great Britain
Order this imageCollection
Osterley Park and House, London
NT 773280
Summary
Copper, The death of Queen Mary II (1662-94), by James (1663-98) and Norbert Roettiers (1665-1727), struck London, United Kingdom, 1694-95. A struck copper medal commemorating the death of Queen Mary II (1662-94) on 28 December 1694 old style (7 January 1695 new style). The Queen shown on obverse facing right, her hair bound with a fillet, a brooch fastening her mantle at the shoulder. Latin legend reads in translation as ‘Mary II by the Grace of God Queen of Great Britain, France and Ireland’. Reverse is plain except for the legend running across the field, which reads in translation: ‘We, envious, seek her removed from our sight’ and, in the centre, ‘Born 30 April 1662, died 28 December 1694.
Full description
Mary was the eldest daughter of the Duke of York, the future King James II/VII (1633-1701) and his first wife Anne Hyde (1637-71). Her sister was the future Queen Anne. Since Mary’s uncle King Charles II had no legitimate children, Mary was from childhood second in line to the throne after her father. She and Anne were brought up as Protestants according to the instructions of Charles II, so did not share the religious views of their father, who had converted to Catholicism in the late 1660s. In 1677 Mary married her cousin William III of Orange, moving with him to the Netherlands. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, Mary moved back to Britain and reigned jointly with her husband, acting as sole Regent when he was away on campaigns (NT 773278). She died late in 1694 after having contracted smallpox. As she and William had remained childless, the succession devolved upon Mary’s sister Anne. Although Mary was the target of vicious propaganda from the Jacobites and was sometimes regarded as deferring too much to her husband, William in fact depended much on her for advice and was devastated by her death. Mary won general respect from many as a quiet, capable and wise monarch. A number of medals were issued to mark the death of Queen Mary II (for examples, see NT 773281-733283). Bronze or copper examples of this type, designed by James and Norbert Roettiers and struck at the Royal Mint, were advertised, just a few weeks after the queen’s death, for 5 shillings in the London Mercury, and also in the London Gazette from 14 February 1695 and subsequent issues into March. Jeremy Warren 2019
Provenance
Given to the National Trust in 1993 by George Child Villiers, 9th Earl of Jersey (1910-1998).
Marks and inscriptions
Obverse: MARIA. II. D.G. MAG. BR. FR. ET. HIB. REGINA. Reverse: SVBLATAM EX OCVLIS QVÆRIMVS INVIDI Reverse: NAT. APR. 30. 1662. MOR. DEC. 28. 1694
Makers and roles
James Roettiers (1663–1698), medallist Norbert Roettiers (1665–1727), medallist
References
Hawkins, E. (ed.) Franks, A.W. and Grueber, H.A: Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland to the death of George II, 2 vols,. London, 1885, II, p. 111, no. 343 Griffiths 1989: Antony Griffiths, ‘Advertisements for Medals in the London Gazette’, The Medal, 15 (1989), pp. 4-6, p. 5. Eimer 2010: Christopher Eimer, British Commemorative Medals and their Values, London 2010, p.72. no. 362, Pl. 44