The issue has consisted of silver 1,2,3 and 4 penny pieces since the reign of Charles 11. However, the first English king who observed this colorful custom, is believed to have been King Edward who reigned early in the 14 th century.
These small silver coins are a special ceremonial issue, struck each year for use at the traditional ceremony on Maundy Thursday. On this occasion the reigning monarch or a representative distributes these coins to a selected group of elderly women and men. The amount distributed to each person ( in pence ) is equal to the present age of the monarch.
As time passes more details were omitted from the ceremony. When George V presented the maundy money in person in 1923, he was the first king to do so in well over 200 years. Consequently at the coronation of Elizabeth 11 in 1953 when she turned 27, she presented 27 women and 27 men each 27 pence in maundy money.
The word "maundy" derives its name from the Latin mandatum, which means a mandate or command.
Separate sets are issued by the royal mint for collectors.
The very small crowned silver one and a half pence's are sometimes mistaken for maundy coins. They are not English coins but were issued specially for circulation in Jamaica and Ceylon, now Sri Lanka.
From the reign of William until 1944 during the reign of George v1, silver threepence's were struck for currency. Until 1927 they were identical in design to the maundy threepence's.
The maundy coins are sharper strikes and almost proof like in appearance.
Although the 1836-37 William four pence's are from the homeland type, they were struck for British Guiana. The Victorian young head four pence's were introduced for circulation in both Great Britain and British Guiana.
The 1888 jubilee head 4 pence was exclusively produced for use in British Guiana and the West Indies.
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