James III silver Touchpiece, issued by James Francis Edward Stuart

James III (b.1688-d.1766), silver Touch-Piece, undated, three masted ship "The Sovereign of the Seas" at full sail left, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, IAC. III D. G. M. B. F. ET. H. R., rev. St Michael slaying the dragon with a lance, legend and outer toothed border surrounding, SOLI DEO GLORIA, no stops, weight 2.82g (MI 316/140; Woolf O2/R3). Pierced as usual, toned very fine and very rare in the name of James III and for this Woolf die combination.

It is interesting to note that when Noel Woolf was researching and photographing touch-pieces for his work "The Sovereign Remedy" that he had a total sample of 22 silver touch pieces in the name of James III, of which only two were of this die combination, it being likely this coin was one of the two.

James III of England or James VIII of Scotland was the son of King James II and this variety of touch piece with IAC. III legend was made for his use in Italy where he lived for nearly half a century in Rome, after his failed expedition to Scotland and England and subsequent pressure to leave France. One of the Hamerani brothers, either Ermenegildo or Ottone of the Rome mint was responsible for the production of these pieces and Ottone had been appointed engraver to James by a warrant of 25^th October 1720. Ottone died in 1761 (his brother had died in 1744) whereupon James appointed his son Fernando to be engraver by a warrant of 16^th May 1761 but there is nothing evident to show that Fernando actually produced any medallic work or otherwise for James in the twilight of his life.

The abbreviated Latin legends translate as on obverse "James the Third, by the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland," 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.

Provenance:

Ex Stanley Gibbons Ltd, purchased October 1978.

Ex Norman G. Brodie, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 41, 3rd June 1999, lot 210.

Ex Michael Gietzelt Collection, Dix Noonan and Webb, Auction 181, 16^th September 2020, lot 189.