Summary

Silver coin; Denomination: Penny, Maundy
Royal Mint, London
William III (1694-1702)

Struck in 1698 for the Maundy Thursday ceremonies of William III. It was, and remains, the practice that on the day before Good Friday the monach would give gifts to selected poor people. The number of people and the size of the gift is governed by the age of the King or Queen, if, for example, the King is twenty years old then twenty people would receive twenty pence. Maundy coins, as they are called, come in Denominations of four, three, two and one penny.

This coin comes from the collection of Eugene von Guerard, a keen collector all his life. He acquired it from Adolph Hamburger, a Sydney collector, for two shillings in the mid nineteenth century. The legend is in abbreviated latin and translates "William III by the Grace of God King of Great Britain, France and Ireland".

Obverse Description

Laureate bust of the King facing right; around, GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA

Reverse Description

Crowned small numeral I; around, MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX 1698, the date being divided by the crown

Edge Description

Plain

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