Maundy Thursday: giving out Maundy money

The giving of coins in Maundy ceremonies can be dated to King John in 1213 but becomes more regularly observed in later reigns. Henry IV (1399–1413) begins the practice of relating the number of recipients of gifts to the monarch’s age, and as it became the custom of the monarch to perform the ceremony, the event became known as the Royal Maundy. The Maundy ceremony as we know it today first took place in in the reign of Charles II, when the king gave people undated hammered coins in 1662.

Ever since Charles II, in 1662, Maundy money has been handed out by the reigning monarch. The tradition has always been to hand out as many Maundy Money sets as there are years in the current monarchs age. Queen Elizabeth is 94yr old, so there will be 94 sets of coins handed out to members of the public.

Maundy money refers to the coins given to elderly people by the monarch in a ceremony that drew inspiration from Jesus Christ and the commandment he gave after washing the disciples feet.

Want to find out more about gold and silver? Get the latest news, guides and information by following the best community on the blockchain - #silvergoldstackers. We're a group of like minded precious metal stackers that love to chat, share ideas and spread the word about the benefits of "stacking". Please feel free to leave a comment below or join us in the community page, or on discord.