437, Lot: 653. Estimate $100. Sold for $180. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

HANOVER. George III. 1760-1820. AR Medalet (26.5mm, 4.11 g, 12h). On the Royal Marriage of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, 8 September 1761. Dated 1761 (in Roman numerals). GEORGIVS · III · ET · CHARLOTTA, conjoined bust of George III, armored and draped, and Charlotte, wearing pearl necklace with pendant, right; REX · ET · REG : in oval cartouche below / Cherub facing slightly left, head right, holding banner inscribed FELICITAS · BRITANNIÆ; above, crowned pair of hearts; below, city view of London, featuring St. Paul’s Cathedral; al within border of palm frond and laurel branch; DIIS AUSPICIBUS/MDCCLXI in two lines in exergue. BHM 17; Eimer 691 corr. (rev. lists two cherubs). Good VF, toned.

George III and Princess Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz were married within six hours of the Princess’ arrival in the UK. The bride’s voyage from her home in Germany to England took more than twenty days, and the eighteen-year-old princess had been so racked with seasickness during the many storms at sea that her jewel-encrusted wedding dress nearly fell off of her thin frame. Although the royal couple had never seen each other before their wedding day, their marriage was apparently very happy; they had fifteen children together, thirteen of whom outlived their parents, and their union is the second-longest lasting royal marriage after that of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.