Charles II: Royal Coat of Arms

John Roettier Flemish

Not on view

After his Restoration to the throne of England, Charles II (b. 1630; r. 1660-80) governed under a constitution with an elected parliament. Charles nonetheless promoted the monarchy’s centrality and prestige by having the imagery on his coins and medals project royal power. On this sumptuous gold medal, Charles wears classical armor as if he were an ancient Roman emperor and is wigged in the elaborate style made fashionable by the absolute monarch, Louis XIV. The inscription on the medal’s front (obverse), “King, by the grace of God” and on the reverse’s royal coat of arms “God and my right” allude to the divine right of kings.

Charles II: Royal Coat of Arms, John Roettier (Flemish, Antwerp 1631–1703 London, active England 1670–98), Gold, British, London

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Charles II: Royal Coat of Arms, John Roettier (Flemish, Antwerp 1631–1703 London, active England 1670–98), Gold, British, London
Charles II: Royal Coat of Arms, John Roettier (Flemish, Antwerp 1631–1703 London, active England 1670–98), Gold, British, London

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.