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James II, 1685-1688
Upon the death of Charles II on February 6, 1685, his younger
brother, the Duke of York, succeeded to the throne as James II. James
had served with distinction in the English navy and had been appointed
Lord High Admiral. As head of the navy, he improved its organization and
created a permanent and professional body of naval officers. His royal
title of Duke of York was memorialized in America by the naming of New
York City in his honor.
James was a devout Roman Catholic. As king, he angered many of his
subjects by favoring Catholics in his appointments and policies.
However, his Protestant subjects accepted him because they expected that
his Protestant daughter Mary would succeed him. The birth of his son and
heir in June, 1688 raised the prospect of permanent Catholic rule. It
was this fear that incited the bloodless "Glorious Revolution," the
invasion of England by William of Orange, ruler of the Netherlands, who
had married Mary in 1677. Encouraged by the Protestant English, William
and his army of 14,000 met no real resistance. James thereupon fled to
France and spent the rest of his short life in exile.
Jan Roettier was the designer/engraver of the James II guinea, which
was produced on the mill and screw machinery of Pierre Blondeau. They
generally are similar to the coins of Charles II, except that the head
faces left. The reverse depicts (clockwise from top left) the shields of
England, Scotland, France and Ireland, each topped by a crown and
separated by scepters. Since the reign of James II was one of the
shortest in English history, his coins are quite scarce in comparison
with those of other reigns.
The Gold Coins of James II
Two Guinea value 40 shillings, wt. 16.44 grams
1687, London Mint, VF+
Two Guinea value 40 shillings, wt. 15.42 grams
1688, London Mint, VF
The four shields represent England, Scotland, France and Ireland.
 Five
Guinea value 100 shillings, wt. 41.69 grams
1688, London Mint, AEF
Five Guinea value 100 shillings, wt. 41.59 grams
1687, London Mint, AVF
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