PACIFICATION OF IRELAND

HAUTSCH, George: England, 1691, Silver, 41 mm
Obv: William III (r)    WILH. III. D.G. ANG. SCO. FR. ET HIB. REX, DEF. FID.
Rev: Victory (Fame) flying with trumpet and palm branch, attended by infant genii carrying six shields with views of towns and inscribed:  WATERFORT, ATHLONE, LIMRICH, KINSAL, LONDONDERY, GALOWAY. Below, William on horse commanding at a battle. Beyond are views of cities inscribed:  DROGHEDA and DVBLIN
Exergue:  RESTITVTORI HIBERNIAE. MDCXCI. (To the Restorer of Ireland, 1691)
Edge:  ANNORVM GESTA DVORVM CERNIS: QVID PLVRES FACIENT? (You perceive the achievements of two years; what will more accomplish?)
Signed:  G.H.
Ref: MI ii, 41/224; v. Loon IV,61; Eimer 69/341;  Weiss BW366

William III (1650-1702) Prince of Orange, was also William III, King of England, and William II, King of Scotland from 1689 to 1702. He was the posthumous son and successor of William II, Prince of Orange. He was raised by his mother, Mary, the eldest daughter of Charles I, King of England, until she died of smallpox in 1660. William than came under the care of his paternal grandmother, Amalia, countess of Solms-Braunsfeld, and his uncle by marriage, Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg. Although royal authority was limited by Jan de Witt (see The Netherlands) during William's minority, the crisis engendered by a combined French and English assault on the United Provinces of The Netherlands led to his appointment as stadtholder and captain general in 1672. With aid from Emperor Leopold I, William expelled the French. In 1677 he married Mary (later Mary II), daughter of James II of England. Following the Glorious Revolution he and Mary, strong Protestants, replaced the Catholic James, finally defeating him in Ireland at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 (see Schomberg in chapter on Germany). William and Mary ruled England jointly until her death in 1694. In 1699 William organized the alliance that was to defeat Louis XIV of France in the War of the Spanish Succession.(Enc. World Hist.).
This medal compliments William as the Restorer of Ireland. He accomplished this by capturing the six strongholds mention on the shield, and of the cities of Drogheda and Dublin, which fell into his hands in consequence of the only two great battles fought in the open field, Boyne and Aghrim. The inscription on the edge asks: If such successes were the fruits of two years, what may be expected from his future career? (M.I.)

LINK to Biography of William III (from Wikipedia)

LINK to Portrait of William III by Sir Godfrey Kneller (from Wikipedia)

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