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MEDAL
Unique ID: KENT-05E6BE
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published 
A fine milled gold touch piece / medal from the reign of Charles II (r.1660-1685AD).
Description: Obverse: Ship going left. Legend: 'CAR.II.D.G.M.B.FR.ET.HI.REX'. Reverse: St. George slaying the dragon. Reverse Legend: 'SOLI.DEO.GLORIA.' The touch piece is pierced just off 12 o'clock of the obverse and detail remains sharp
Measurements: 21.4mm wide, 0.3mm thick and 3.35g in weight.
Discussion:
This is a touch piece, a gold medal purpose-made for use in the ceremony of Touching for the King's Evil, the ritual though which English monarchs exercised their thaumaturgic gift of healing the disease scrofula. In the 16th century the habit evolved of hanging a gold angel coin around the neck of the person touched by the king or queen and this became a firm part of the ceremony. After the Stuart Restoration no new angel coins were made and instead gold touch pieces with elements of the angel design replaced them. They are almost invariably pierced, as this was part of their purpose. The gold used to make these medals was 22 carat fineness.
As a gold medal with no monetary function, a touch-piece would fall within the purview of the Treasure Act and at least one has passed through the system in this way already; eg. YORYM-B32610 (2015 T176).
Subsequent actions
Current location of find: Chichester Museum
Subsequent action after recording: Acquired by museum after being declared Treasure
Treasure details
Treasure case tracking number: 2016T605
Chronology
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Subperiod to: Middle
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1660
Date to: Circa AD 1685
Dimensions and weight
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 0.3 mm
Weight: 3.35 g
Diameter: 21.4 mm
Personal details
This information is restricted for your access level.
Other reference numbers
Treasure case number: 2016T605
Museum accession number: CHCDM:2018.3
Materials and construction
Primary material: Gold
Manufacture method: Milled
Completeness: Complete
Spatial metadata
County or Unitary authority: West Sussex (County)
District: Chichester (District)
Parish or ward: Northchapel (Civil Parish)
Spatial coordinates
4 Figure: SU9431
Four figure Latitude: 51.07064266
Four figure longitude: -0.65974057
1:25K map: SU9431
1:10K map: SU93SW
Grid reference source: Generated from computer mapping software
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
References cited
No references cited so far.
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Timeline of associated dates
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