Overlijden van Maria II van Engeland 1695

This is a silver medal commemorating the death of Mary II of England, made anonymously in 1695. The medal uses conventional imagery and symbolism to comment on the social structures of the time. On one side, we see the flags of England and the Dutch Republic, signalling the importance of her reign to both countries. The reverse features a crowned orange tree, a symbol of the House of Orange-Nassau, to which her husband, William III, belonged. The iconography is intended to solidify the authority of the monarchy. To fully understand this piece, we need to look into the political and religious context of late 17th-century Europe, which was marked by conflicts between Protestants and Catholics and power struggles between royal houses. The Dutch Republic and England—both Protestant powers—forged a strong alliance under William and Mary. Resources such as historical documents, political pamphlets, and even sermons from the period, can give us a fuller picture of its meaning and use.