Beschreibung

Anne, 1702-1714. Gold Medal 1713, 122.00 g. Peace of Utrecht. By J. Croker. Bust, laureate and draped. ANNA . D : G : MAG : BRI : FR : ET . HIB : REG: Rv. Britannia seated with olive-branch, spear and shield; beyond ships and farming scene. COMPOSITIS . VENERANTVR . ARMIS. In exergue: MDCCXIII. Plain edge. 59.3 mm. Eimer 458. MI ii 399/256. van Loon V, 230,1. Saunders/Vanhoudt 1713-9. Sehr selten / Very rare. Vorzüglich-FDC / About Uncirculated. Prachtexemplar / Cabinet piece.

Purchased from Spink Numismatic Circular, London, October 1995, lot 6758.

The Peace of Utrecht, concluded in 1713, was a series of treaties that ended the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 - 1714), one of the most significant conflicts in early 18th-century Europe. The peace negotiations involved multiple European powers and reshaped the political and territorial landscape of the continent. The treaties are named after the Dutch city of Utrecht, where many of the negotiations took place. Great Britain gained significant territories, including Gibraltar and Minorca from Spain, securing strategic naval bases in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, France ceded Newfoundland, Acadia (modern-day Nova Scotia), and Hudson Bay to Britain, strengthening British colonial power in North America.

The Protestant succession in Britain was secured, with the recognition of Queen Anne and the future Hanoverian succession (George I). Also, Louis XIV recognized the Hanoverian succession in Britain, abandoning support for the Jacobite claim of James Francis Edward Stuart. Britain secured the Asiento de Negros, a monopoly on the supply of African slaves to Spanish colonies, which became a lucrative source of income. The treaties marked the beginning of Britain's rise as a global superpower, with significant territorial gains and commercial advantages.

Van Loon says that this medal was distributed in gold to members of the House of Lords, and the next smaller one to the House of Commons. This appears to be a mistake as the medals distributed to members of both Houses were of the same size.