The War of the Spanish Succession
CNG 108, Lot: 1114. Estimate $1000.
Sold for $1900. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee. |
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WAR OF THE SPANISH SUCCESSION (Spanischer Erbfolgekrieg), Germany. Landau. Besieged by the French under the command of Claude Louis Hector, Duc de Villars and Maréchal, 6 June-20 August 1713. AR 2 Gulden 8 Kreuzer Klippe (38x39). Dated
1713. Crowned ducal coat-of-arms of Württemburg-Winnental, framed by Jagdorden, C · A · H · Z · W · around, I V · across field, 17 13 below; in upper stamp: PRO/CAES : & IMP: in two lines; in lower stamp: BEL : LANDAU/2. FL : 8 x. in two lines; in corner stamps: crowned CA monogram / Blank. Klein & Raff 220.3; Davenport 2377; Mailliet 5
3; Brause-Mansfeld I, pl. 15, 3; Lasser 1226. In NGC encapsulation, 4340719-001, graded MS 62.
In 1701, a Grand Alliance against Louis was established. Consisting of England (after 1707, Great Britain), the Dutch Republic, and the Holy Roman Empire, their candidate was Charles, the son of Leopold I. By this point, however, the Empire was weakened by the increasing independence of German states within it. Now, Catholic Bavaria allied itself with France.
William III, Louis’ chief rival, had died shortly after the war began. His sister-in-law Anne succeeded him. The new queen relied on John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, as her commander. His victories at Blenheim, Ramilies, Oudenaard, and Malplaquet, sealed his reputation as a great general. By 1710, however, the situation was at a standstill. Churchill’s victories in the Low Countries were offset by the Alliance’s defeat in Spain. The war’s cost made unpopular in Britain. The succession of the Alliance candidate to the throne of Austria made an Austro-Spanish union no better to Britain than the Franco-Spanish one that made them join the Alliance in the first place. Now, with the Tories in power, the administration of Robert Harley initiated peace talks with France and ceased active military participation, much to the consternation of Churchill and the Whigs.
Without British support, the other Allies were forced to make peace. Under the treaties of Utrecht in 1713, and Rastatt and Baden in 1714,. Phillip renounced his claim to the French French throne and was confirmed as King of Spain. Spain retained is overseas possessions, while their European territories were divided between Austria, Britain, and Savoy. In the long run, Britain emerged as the leading European maritime and commercial power, bringing to an end almost a century of Dutch influence and the end of the Dutch Republic as a major power. The break-up of the Holy Roman Empire continued, paving the way for the creation of more powerful German states, most notably Prussia.
