Featured Maundy Money ! Trivia for you my friends..

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by weryon, Mar 23, 2011.

  1. weryon

    weryon World traveler - In Thailand

    I have always found these coins very interesting especially the tiny silver 1 pence coin that is a whooping 11.15 mm in diameter. I’m trying to collect a 1 pence coin for each monarch that issued Maundy money. But what is Maundy money you say ? It all started 1210…..

    It’s basically coins given to poor people in a religious ceremony where the Monarch would participate on Maundy Thursday (first Thursday before Easter.)

    They would give silver 1 pence totaling the monarchs age to the age amount number of men and the age amount number of women.

    S3985__0B.jpg
    Mini-History

    Originally the Maundy service would call upon the washing of the feet of the poor. In earlier ceremonies the high clergy members would wash the feet of the lower clergy, in other periods of time the washing was done by members of higher hierarchies.

    The ceremony has been known since the 7th century but King Edward the second was the first monarch to take part in Maundy Thursday. The first king to donate to the poor during this ceremony was King John which donated anything from forks to food to linen. King Edward III is said to have washed the feet of the poor and hand out money.
    maundy.jpg
    In later ceremonies the monarch did not participate but they still gave out money to the poor, normally all in silver peaces and totaling the age of the monarch. They stopped washing feet in 1736 … I don’t blame them… but in the 2003 ceremony it was once again performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Side note: he is the guy that crowns the monarch…)

    In 1936 the set as distributed by King Edward VIII but it had King George V’s effigy. By 1953 it was common practice for the monarch to give out the Maundy money and still is to this day.

    On March 20, 2008 Queen Elizabeth II held the ceremony outside of England for the second time in history… she handed 82 pence to 82 men and 82 women.

    Ordinary silver coinage was used for Maundy money before 1822 but after they minted special coins in value of 1,2,3,4 =10 pence originally in sterling they changed the composition to .5 in 1921 and in 1947 cupronickel.

    HU050167.jpg
    Rarity of the coinage……..

    Victoria Maundy money is quite common since she was the second longest reigning monarch. Anything after 1909 is quite rarer because Edward VII stated that the coins should only be give to those in the ceremony…

    Interesting stuff wouldn’t you say ?
     
    longnine009, LaneyTex1 and spirityoda like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. andyscouse

    andyscouse Collector of Brit stuff

    It is indeed.

    However, as a matter of correction, in 1947 the composition of Maundy was changed (as was all other 'silver' coinage) ... BUT for Maundy, Sterling (92½%) silver was re-instated. Thus:

    Up to and including 1919 ... 92½%
    1920-1946 ... 50%
    1947-now ... 92½%

    All other 50% silver coins went to CuNi as you state.

    I have just one set (2000) currently.
     
  4. I really enjoyed reading this most interesting article on the subject of Maundy Money, and the way the author explained how this ancient ceremony is still carried to this very day. The irony of these coins is that they are still legal tender, but they are real collectors pieces to be treasured.
    A crown piece worth 60 pre-decimal pence is usually included, but in recent years the face value of such currently minted crown size coins has risen to five pounds, so how it would work now I do not know.
    Although I have never owned a Maundy set the nearest I have come to it is acquiring an 1870 Maundy four pence.
    Overall an interesting and well researched article.
     
  5. dwhiz

    dwhiz Collector Supporter

    gb-horz.jpg I have one and I don't know why
     
  6. 19Lyds

    19Lyds Member of the United States of Confusion

    Maundy Money is a fascinating piece of numismatic history! Thank You for sharing!

    Question: How do you verify a Maundy Money Piece?
     
  7. dwhiz

    dwhiz Collector Supporter

    Hope this helps
    The origin of the Maundy Ceremony dates to the reign of Edward II, when goods were given to the poor by the King. It was not until the time of Elizabeth I of giving redemption money in the place of gifts. For many years the coins given were circulating coins of the time, usually silver pence and other denominations, but it was not until about 1800 that special sets of coins were minted. Small silver coins were struck solely for use in the Maundy Ceremony after 1820. Personal presentation of Maundy sets by the King or Queen is a relatively recent phenomenon. For the first time since the 7th century George V presented the coins himself in 1932.
     
  8. 19Lyds

    19Lyds Member of the United States of Confusion

    While this adds historical perspective it does not address specific identification.

    Are there any unique pieces and what is to prevent someone from simply gathering together a series of 4 coins and calling them Maundy Money?
     
  9. dwhiz

    dwhiz Collector Supporter

  10. Conder101

    Conder101 Numismatist

    By the time they went to using the special sets of the four coins there weren't any silver one or 2 pence coins in circulation. The four pence did have a silver version in circulation but it used a different design than the Maundy coin. The three cent was a problem because the Maundy and the circulation coin used the same design until 1928. After that the 500 fine silver business strike had a different design.
     
    dwhiz likes this.
  11. wyvern

    wyvern Active Member

    in 1639 the almoner of Charles 1 handed out to 39 men four yards of Holland three yards of broad-cloth,a pair of shoes a wooden platter with a jowle of ling and another salmon,six red herrings two loaves of bread a scale of wine.twenty shillings in money,nine and thirty single pence and washes all their feet.this seems to have taken place in York minister with the king being in the city .this was a gift well worth having..the practice of Maundy giving was not only practiced by the monarch but was done by many nobles through out the country but they did not give the coins.
     
    dwhiz likes this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page