GREAT BRITAIN. 5 Guineas, 1688. James II (1685-88). PCGS Genuine--Graffiti, AU Details Secure Holder.S-3397A; Fr-292; KM-460.1. Second laureate bust. James II has been considered many things throughout English history: tyrannical, religious bigot, absolutist and unwilling to compromise. However, during his short four year reign, he kept taxes low and really did want religious freedom and equality, at least for Catholics. This did not sit well with Parliament, which was primarily Protestant, as James had replaced many high officials in the country. While trying to flee from invading forces of his own daughter, Mary, and her husband William of Orange who were both Protestant, he allegedly threw the Great Seal of the Realm in the River Thames and was captured on December 11, 1688. On December 23 of the same year, James was allowed to escape and fled to France where Louis XIV, his cousin and ally, received him with open arms and offered him a palace and pension. He lived out the rest of his life in exile. A sizable relic from this ephemeral reign, slightly impaired with thin intentional scratches placed between "・GRATIA", but otherwise rather pleasing with good color and strong detail over all but the first two digits of the date.PCGS Genuine--Graffiti, AU Details Secure Holder.
