- Museum number
- G3,EM.7
- Description
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Gold medal. (whole)
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Busts conjoined, right, of William III and Mary II. He, laureate, hair long, wears armour and mantle fastened with brooch on the shoulder: she is draped. (obverse)
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William, habited as a Roman Emperor, and seated in state, holds the Christian standard surmounted by a naval trophy. Before him stands Minerva, who presents a medal to poets below, near a rostral column. Behind him Fame sounds his praise, having her hand on an inscribed shield. On the ground are the arms which he has taken off. The daïs is inscribed. (reverse)
- Production date
- 1691
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 45.000 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Medallic Illustrations 2, published in 1885, states:
Very rare.
These medals, which vary in weight, and are said to have been struck only in gold, were presented by William III to poets, who had distinguished themselves by their poems commemorative of the expedition to Britain. They were distributed in the month of February, during the King's visit to Holland. The specimen in silver in the British Museum (registration no. BNK,E.M.126) is inscribed on the edge with the name of GERRITIE * HARMENS. Chevalier (Chevalier, Nicolas, Historie de Guillaume II., &c., par Médailles, Inscriptions, &c. Amsterdam, 1692, p. 209) figures a medal similar to the above, but larger, and with the positions on both sides reversed.
See Rapin de Thoyras, Paul, ‘The Metallick History of the Reigns of William III and Queen Mary, Queen Anne, and King George I. [N. Tindal’s edition.], London, 1747, xi. 7; Van Loon, Gerard, ‘Histoire Métallique des XVII. Provinces des Pays-Bas’, 5 vol. La Haye, 1732-1837 (fol) [There is also an edition in Dutch, but with different paging], IV. 40.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Literary Reward
- Acquisition date
- 1825
- Department
- Coins and Medals
- Registration number
- G3,EM.7
- Additional IDs
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Miscellaneous number: H183
- C&M catalogue number
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MB2 (Medallic Illustrations 2) (19) (186)
