James II silver Touchpiece, pierced, obverse 2, reverse 2

James II (1685-88), silver Touch-Piece, officially pierced, three masted ship in full sail right, legend as IAC.II.D.G.M.B.F. ET.H.REX., toothed border both sides, rev. struck en medaille, St. Michael slaying dragon, reads SOLI. DEO. GLORIA., weight 1.55g (MIi 611/20; Woolf O2:R2). Attractively toned, some light surface marks a pleasing extremely fine and extremely rare.

Further reading: See British Numismatic Journal 1918, XIV, p.89-120, 'Royal Charities' by Helen Farquhar - p.116.

The legends translate as "James II by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland" on obverse and on the reverse "Glory to God alone."

The so called "Kings Evil" or Morbus Regius also known as the disease scrofula was what the Royal touch from the monarch was purported to be able to cure. Since the time of King Edward the Confessor (later canonised) a belief in prayer coupled with the Royal touch could incur a miraculous recovery and it became usual to give money as alms to the afflicted, in the Middle Ages a Penny as a day's wages for a labourer. Later in the medieval period the gold Angel coin became prominent as the "doctors" coin as the 6s and 8d face value was the standard fee of a medical doctor at the time. The reverse legend of Angel coins was revered as a healing inscription coupled with St. Michael slaying the devil as a dragon. As the monarch was seen to have a divine right to Kingship and was related to the now Sainted King, the coin became effectively a healing amulet especially if the monarch had once touched it. The passing of a Touch-Piece therefore became more commonplace under the Stuart reigns of James I and Charles I, and at these times of plague and other disease it was sensible for the King to pass such Angel coins, rather than to touch those physically ailed, a social distance being maintained by the gift of coin. The recipient who may have cured from their ill would covet such a coin and wear it against their skin probably for the rest of their life, and this is why such coins are often holed. By the time of the later Stuart reigns of Charles II and James II the Angel coin was no longer in production as machinery had become the new norm at the Mint. A need to still touch for the Kings evil meant production of these special pieces as we have for sale herewith prevailed and there was even a gap left in the legend where the piercing would occur. The reverse depicts the warship "The Sovereign of the Seas" launched in October 1637 and in service until it was burned by fire in Chatham docks in 1697.

The silver Touch Pieces of James II were issued after he had effectively abdicated the throne and in exile in France, where he is first recorded as touching at the English convent and later in German-en-laye. They are extremely rare.

Provenance:

Ex Classical Numismatic Group, CNG Review XLVI, Winter 2020