Jacobite and Hanoverian Medals
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Glasgow Museums has a collection of 10 Jacobite medals which are made of silver, bronze and copper. These date from the late 17th century to the early 18th century. This collection includes two bronze medals commemorating King Charles I, the earliest Stuart monarch to be commenmorated. The restoration of the Stuart monarchy is remembered with one bronze medal of King Charles II. The majority of the medals refer to the Stuart dynasty in exile and to the Jacobite cause to restore the family to the British throne. The earliest medal in this collection is a silver medal struck in 1699 to commemorate King James II. He presents himself with long hair, and in profile like a large coin. On the reverse is a bust of his son, James, who also sports long hair. The medal collection also contains another medal struck for King James II, which is made of bronze. The message of a continued dynasty of rulers is enforced by later Jacobite medals struck to celebrate Princes James and Charles, or the Old and Young Pretenders as they were called by opponents. The collection holds two silver medals struck Prince James. One was struck in 1712 for the Prince and Princess Louisa Stuart, and the other was struck as an appeal against the House of Hanover. There is also another medal for Prince James in the collection, which was made in 1708 in Scotland. It is made of copper and calls for the restoration of the Kingdom of Scotland as a reflection on the disillusion Scots felt at the Act of Union of 1707 and subsequent continued poor conditions of life endured by many. Prince James’s own son, Charles is also celebrated and commemorated in medals and like his prints and portraits he is presented as a war leader dressed in amour. There are two bronze medals showing Prince Charles, and on the reverse is his more peaceable brother, Prince Henry, who entered the Church, and became a Cardinal without ambitions to lead an army. But, to the owners of the medals, seeing the keepers and inheritors of the cause was intended to inspire loyalty and ambitions to finance plans for securing another restoration by force.
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