In keeping with yearly tradition to mark Holy Thursday before Easter, Queen Elizabeth II handed out rare coins during the Royal Maundy Service that was held this year in Bury St Edmunds Cathedral, Suffolk.

Custom dictates that a monarch’s age is to be used to determine how many individuals are selected for the service to receive special coins, commonly referred to as "Maundy Money."

The Queen gave a white and red purse of coins to 83 women and 83 men.

The red purse contained £5 coin celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Accession of Henry VIII and a 50p coin to celebrate the founding of Royal Botanic Kew Gardens. The white purse contained rare 83p Maundy coins, which were specially minted sterling silver (92.5%). Read the rest of this entry »

Queen Elizabeth II led the Royal Maundy Service on Thursday in Northern Ireland. In keeping with the yearly tradition to mark Holy Thursday before Easter, The Queen handed out rare and specially minted coins along with regular circulation coins within small stringed red and white purses.

82 men and 82 women were selected from four main churches in Northern Ireland in recognition of their individual contributions and service. Each of the citizens received the purses and newly minted silver coins with a face value of 82 pence.

82 is the age of The Queen. Tradition dictates the monarch’s age is to be used in the each yearly service to determine how many individuals are selected and how many coins are handed out.

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