How to Identify the Maundy Fourpence

What It Is

The Maundy Fourpence is the largest denomination in the Royal Maundy set, a small silver coin distributed each year alongside the penny, twopence, and threepence in the Royal Maundy ceremony. Its value echoes the historic groat, an old English coin worth four pence that once circulated widely on its own.

Obverse Design

The obverse carries the reigning monarch's coinage portrait, consistent in style with the rest of the Maundy set and with regular circulating coinage from the same period, giving collectors an easy way to sort coins by reign at a glance.

Reverse Design

The reverse shows a crowned numeral "4" set within a wreath, following the same visual formula as the other Maundy coins but as the largest of the four numerals, occupying more of the coin's face than on the smaller denominations and allowing finer detail in the wreath's leaf pattern.

Size, Weight, Metal & Edge

Struck in sterling silver, the Maundy Fourpence is the biggest of the set at roughly 18mm in diameter and just under 2 grams in weight, with a plain edge, making it noticeably easier to handle than the tiny penny.

Mint Marks & Dating

No mintmark is present since all Maundy money is struck at the Royal Mint. The date is found below the portrait on the obverse, the same as on other coins of the era, and can be read without magnification thanks to the coin's larger size.

Telling It Apart From Similar Coins

Collectors sometimes confuse the Maundy Fourpence with historic silver groats, which are similarly sized but show a full portrait or cross-and-pellets design rather than a crowned numeral. The presence of the crowned "4" in a wreath confirms a Maundy piece rather than an older circulating groat.

Grading at a Glance

Because these coins are ceremonial gifts rather than pocket change, most survive with strong detail. Examine the crown's points and the wreath's leaf edges for crispness; a well-struck, lightly handled example will show clear separation between the numeral and the surrounding wreath, with no flattening on the crown's arches.

Authenticity Red Flags

Watch for coins with an unusually dull or grainy surface, incorrect weight for genuine sterling silver, or a numeral and crown style that doesn't match the era suggested by the date. As with all small silver coins, cast reproductions can be identified by a lack of sharp, struck detail and slightly soft edges around the lettering. Weighing the coin against published specifications is a quick and reliable check.