Description

William III. 1694-1702. Silver Medal 1697, 102.59 g. Treaty of Ryswick, State of Britain. Unsigned. Bust, laureate, armoured and draped. GVLIELMVS . III . DEI . GRA : MAG : BR : FRA : ET : HIB : REX: Rv. Britannia seated upon ground, holds her trident and shield; beside her an olive branch resting upon a book. RESTITVTORI . In exergue: BRITANNIA: MDCXCVII. Punch marks "I*O" and "1782". 69.9 mm. Eimer 372. MI ii 192/499. van Loon IV, 250,1. Saunders/Vanhoudt 1697-16. Gutes sehr schön / Good Very Fine. Schöne Patina, etwas poliert und gelocht / Nice toning, slightly polished and pierced.

From the auction Baldwin's Auctions 18, London, October 1998, lot 905.

The Treaty of Ryswick, signed in 1697, marked the end of the Nine Years' War (1688 - 1697), a major conflict between France under King Louis XIV and the Grand Alliance, which included England, the Dutch Republic, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and other European powers.

It was more of a truce than a lasting peace. It failed to address the issue of the Spanish succession, which would soon plunge Europe into another major war. Louis XIV's retention of Strasbourg and other strategic gains demonstrated that France remained a powerful and ambitious force in Europe.