GERMANY, Landau. Besieged by Marshal de Villars, 1713. AR 2 Florin 8 Kreuzer (40x42mm, 21.67 g). War of the Spanish Succession issue. Dated
1713. Stamped with the coat-of-arms of Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg, two rectangular stamps reading PRO/ CÆS : & IMP : and BEL : LANDAU/ 2 · FL : 8X, and four crowned monograms / Blank. Korchnak 314; Maillet pl. LXIX, 7; Davenport 2377; KM 13. Hints of luster, hairlines, usual weakness in central punch. EF.
In 1701, the death of the childless Spanish monarch Charles II sparked a succession crisis that rapidly drew the main powers of Europe into a prolonged war. Louis XIV of France moved quickly to place his grandson Philip of Anjou on the throne. Fearing Bourbon control of the huge Spanish holdings in the New World, a Grand Alliance of England, the Dutch Republic and the Holy Roman Empire soon formed to back the rival claim of the Habsburg Emperor Charles VI. The war soon developed religious overtones, with Catholic Bavaria breaking away from the Empire to ally itself with France and the Bourbons.
The English King William III, Louis’ chief rival, had died shortly after the war began. His sister-in-law Anne succeeded him. The new queen relied on John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough, as her commander. His victories at Blenheim, Ramilies, Oudenaard, and Malplaquet, sealed his reputation as a great general. By 1710, however, the situation was at a standstill. Churchill’s victories in the Low Countries were offset by the Alliance’s defeat in Spain. The war’s cost made it unpopular in Britain. The succession of the Alliance candidate to the throne of Austria made an Austro-Spanish union no better to Britain than the Franco-Spanish one that made them join the Alliance in the first place. Now, with the Tories in power, the administration of Robert Harley initiated peace talks with France and ceased active military participation, much to the consternation of Churchill and the Whigs.
Without British support, the other Allies were forced to make peace. Under the treaties of Utrecht in 1713, and Rastatt and Baden in 1714. Phillip renounced his claim to the French throne and was confirmed as King of Spain. Spain retained is overseas possessions, while their European territories were divided between Austria, Britain, and Savoy. In the long run, Britain emerged as the leading European maritime and commercial power, bringing to an end almost a century of Dutch influence and the end of the Dutch Republic as a major power. The break-up of the Holy Roman Empire continued, paving the way for the creation of more powerful German states, most notably Prussia.
