Queen Anne and the Peace of Utrecht

This medal commemorates the Peace of Utrecht which was signed between Britain and France in April 1713. It was designed by the German medallist John Crocker, who was Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint.

The Peace of Utrecht ended the War of the Spanish Succession and was a major factor in the emergence of Britain as a global power. Under the terms of the treaty, the French made significant concessions. France agreed to recognise Queen Anne as the British sovereign and to end support for James II's son as a rival claimant to the throne. The French also gave up commercially important territory in Canada, including Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and the Hudson Bay area. On the obverse of the medal, Queen Anne is depicted in profile wearing a laurel wreath. On the reverse, the figure of Britannia is shown in a landscape representing Britain's post-war commercial prosperity. She is holding an olive branch, symbolising the peace. In the background ships are under sail and men are cultivating crops in the fields. The Latin inscription is a quotation from the Roman poet Horace. The words 'their arms laid down, they honour you' are addressed to Britannia.