Jacobus III, penning geslagen om onder zijn partijgangers te verdelen 1708

This silver coin, made by Norbert Roëttiers, was designed to be distributed amongst Jacobus III’s supporters. The imagery on this coin operates on a number of symbolic levels. Made in the late 17th or early 18th century, the coin makes reference to both the political and economic structures of the time. The map of Great Britain, covered in ships, references the naval power that was so important to the state. The iconography is overtly political: Jacobus III, exiled after the Glorious Revolution, is making a claim to the throne. Studying coins like these helps historians to understand the propaganda of the time. By researching Jacobus’s supporters and their relationship to the British state, we can understand how this coin may have been used to further his cause. It reminds us that art is always contingent on social and institutional contexts.