Anne (1702-1714), Post-Union, Five-Guineas, 1711, DECIMO, di...

Hammer

£120,000

Anne (1702-1714), Post-Union, Five-Guineas, 1711, DECIMO, diademed and draped bust left, rev. crowned broader shields cruciform, emblem-adorned sceptres in angles, ten strings to harp. (MCE 202; EGC 451; S.3568). As struck, superb. Proof like, with a light reddish tone. Only the lightest of marks. Encapsulated by PCGS as MS62. Queen Anne ruled from 8 March 1702 until her death on 23 April 1714, aged 49. She was born at St James’s Palace London, on 6th February 1665, and was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1702. Anne died at Kensington Palace London and was buried at Westminster Abbey after a reign of just 12 years. Anne was the second daughter of James II and, through her mother Anne, the grand-daughter of Edward Hyde, Duke of Clarendon. She married Prince George (1653-1708) brother of the Danish king, Christian V. They had 19 children, of which 14 were stillbirths or miscarriages. The others died at an early age. George was a pleasant and well-meaning man, but lacked refinement, and few wanted him as a future king. Queen Anne was hugely overweight, and this probably contributed to the lack of a healthy child. She was frequently carried by her staff in a specially made chair because of her inability to walk, and this may be why the sedan chair became so popular during her reign. She also suffered from gout and rheumatism and must have been in constant pain. How she maintained her generally bright and kind-hearted demeanour is a tribute to her stoicism and conscientiousness. She probably never wanted to become queen, but nevertheless sought to do her duty. And so she was loved and respected by the nation. Anne’s reign was dominated abroad by the War of the Spanish Succession. This had arisen because Louis XIV of France accepted the Spanish throne on behalf of his grandson Philip, instead of accepting Charles of Austria as the successor, as had been agreed by the Partition Treaty of 1700. Britain sided with Austria, Portugal and Denmark against France, Spain and Bavaria. The bloody war raged from 1702 until the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. England’s heroic general was John Churchill, whom Anne elevated to Dule of Marlborough. But eventually, a popular war became a tiresome burden for queen and country. The most significant political event of Anne’s reign was the Act of Union, effective from May 1707, which united England and Scotland as one kingdom – Great Britain. The second highest graded by PCGS, only one higher at MS62+.