WILLIAM III. AND MARY II. (1689 to 1702. 1689 to 1694.)
Denominations. Silver. Crown, Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence, Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, Penny. Gold. Five-guinea, Two-guinea, Guinea, Half-Guinea. Tin. Halfpenny, Farthing. Copper. Halfpenny, Farthing.
Obverse.—Type. Dexter busts profile of king and queen, (William and Mary) side by side, that of the king laureated, partly in armour. Queen draped, hair curled; some have the bust of Mary only; Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, and Penny, busts undraped. After Mary’s death, the bust of William, profile and laureated, appears alone.
Legend. First, GVLIELMVS ET MARIA or GVLIELMVS ET MARIA DEI GRATIA. Later, GVLIELMVS TERTIVS. or GVLIELMVS III. DEI GRATIA.
Reverse.—Type. Four crowned shields in cross, as before; in the centre, the shield of Nassau; between the shields, W. and M. conjoined; the four figures of the date, as 1693, one under each monograph. Some Half-crowns have a plain shield of the royal arms, crowned; Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, and Penny, values crowned. After the death of Mary, feathers on some, and on others roses, take the place of the monogram of W and M between the shields; on others the space is left blank.
Legend. MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX ET REGINA, or the same, leaving off “et regina.”
Edge. DECVS ET TVTAMEN and year of reign.
Gold. Busts as before; reverse, royal arms in large shield, crowned. After Mary’s death, reverse, shields in cross, with sceptres, as on the silver.
Copper. Halfpence and Farthings. Obverse, busts as before, GVLIELMVS ET MARIA, or GVLIELMVS TERTIVS. Reverse, figure of Britannia, BRITANNIA, date in exergue; Irish, GVLIELMVS ET MARIA DEI GRATIA; reverse, Irish harp crowned, MAG BR FR ET HIB REX ET REGINA, date on field. There are coins also, of Mary’s only, one of which has, on obverse, bust profile of queen, draped, hair turned up behind, MARIA II DEI GRATIA; reverse, full blown rose on a branch, EX CANDORE DECVS. After the queen’s death, the coins have the bust of William, as before, with GVLIELMVS TERTIVS; reverse, same as before. Scotch have, on obverse, a sword and sceptre in saltire, with a crown above: reverse, thistle, crowned; another has a monogram.