For example, this year 188 recipients will receive the Maundy coins – 94 men and 94 women. The number of men and women receiving Maundy Money also equals the age of the sovereign during the year, and since the reign of George I, the recipients have been an equal number of men and women. Nowadays it is not the poor who are the recipients of this gift, but specially chosen members of the public in recognition of the service they have given to the Church and local community. The Maundy coins total the age of the King or Queen in pence, so this year, as the Queen approaches her 94th birthday, each white purse will contain 94 pence. The pouches handed out by the reigning monarch at Royal Maundy service the red contains normal coinage the white contains Maundy Money. The red purse contains ordinary coinage as money (in lieu of the food and clothing which was offered years ago) and the white contains silver Maundy coins. The tradition of giving out money began with Charles II, with the first set of Maundy coins consisting of a four penny, three penny, two penny and a penny. The coins have remained in much the same form since then, and are traditionally struck in sterling silver.Īt the Royal Maundy ceremony, the reigning monarch hands each recipient two small leather string purses – one white, one red. A Maundy fourpenny given out during the reign of Queen Victoria
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