These coins were specially struck for the ceremony known as "touching for the king's evil" and in many instances are likely to have been touched and distributed personally by the monarch. It was believed that the monarchs of England had the power to cure the skin disease Scrofula with their touch.  The kings were thought to have received this power by descent from Edward the Confessor, who, according to some legends, received it from Saint Remigius. From 1633, the Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church contained a ceremony for this, and it was traditional for the monarch (king or queen) to present to the touched person a coin — usually an Angel. From the reign of Charles II onwards Angels were struck solely for use in the ceremony, as by that time the Angel had ceased to be a regular struck currency issue. The last monarch to perform the ritual was Anne on 30 March 1712. Her successor George I discontinued the practice for as being "too Catholic." Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary for 13 April 1661: “To Whitehall to the Banquet House and there saw the King heale, the first time that ever I saw him do it - which he did with great gravity; and it seemed to me to be an ugly office and a simple one”

MD202 - Anne (1702-1714), Post-Union with Scotland, Shilling, 1711, Tower Mint, second bust, draped and diademed bust of Anne left, ANNA DEI GRATIA, rev., 1711•MAG BRI•FR ET•HIB REG•, crowned shields with the arms of Great Britain, France and Ireland in the form of a cross, (S.3618), good very fine, attractive old toning a very pleasing appearance. $195 SOLD