Skip to content
(JACOBITE SCALES) (PI-44)


Image Information

Type Coin
Title (JACOBITE SCALES) (PI-44)
Date 1696
Country England
Institution
/Catalog #
PI-44
Denomination crown
Description This symbol is difficult to decipher but is likely a show of support for the Jacobite Assassination plot of 1696. The so-called Jacobites were supporters of deposed Catholic King James II who lost the Crown to Protestant King William III in 1690. The goal of the plot was to kill William and reinstall James on the Throne. The seller calls the symbol a balance or scale countermark. The center bar connects the shield of Ireland on the left with the shield of Scotland on the right and runs horizontally through the center shield. This shield is known as the Nassau Horse and is the family symbol of William's House of Orange-Nassau. This ?pivot? point looks to be a defacement of that shield. This, and the fact that the coin is a 1696 William III Crown, indicates to me that it's either a show of support for the plot or simply a dismissal of William's legitimacy. Along with the coin is a collector's card from a previous owner. It indicates that it was purchased from an Edinburgh, Scotland collector named Lee Brown in September, 1937 for 3 Shillings. A very interesting point of provenance. Purchased from Dr. John Corney / Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. (Fb. 2, 2021) ($125).

Related Content

Image Collection Irish Political Tokens (Pre-Irish Independence)
NNP is 100% non-profit and independent // Your feedback is essential and welcome. // Your feedback is essential and welcome.