Money Monday: Elizabeth I Gold Angel [1558-1603]

Obverse: ELIZABETH D G ANG FR ET HI REGINA [Elizabeth by thegrace of God Queen of England, France and Ireland]

Reverse:A DNO FACTUM EST ISTVD ET EST MIRA BI [This is the Lord’s doing and it ismarvellous in our eyes]

Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Often referred to as the Virgin Queen, she was the last of the Tudor dynasty (for obvious reasons). Her reign had its ups and downs as well as some major milestones in English history, such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, the establishment of the Church of England and the execution of Mary Queen of Scots (as played out by Monty Python…).

She also oversaw the flourishing of English drama, led primarily by William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Her reputation as a short-tempered, indecisive but ultimately charismatic and successful ruler left her ripe for caricature and glorification in equal measure ever since her death. For instance, you only need to contrast Cate Blanchett’s depiction of the Queen with that of Miranda Richardson’s version in Blackadder to appreciate the rich legacy her character has left us.

The reverse shows a ship holding a quartered shield with a cross above, with the English coat of arms only depicting the lions of England and the fleur de lys of France. This does not in fact celebrate the victory over the Spanish Armada, but is based off an original design introduced during the reign of Edward IV in 1465. His new Noble first featured the Archangel Michael slaying a dragon on the reverse, which naturally led to it being called the Angel Noble. They were minted in Angel, Half Angel and Quarter Angel denominations, losing a quarter of their mass each time.

As an extra fact, Angel Nobles became so ingrained in English culture that many pubs were named after them. One such pub, the Angel Inn in Islington, now lends its name to an area and tube station in North London.

Coins featured in Money Monday are a part of the University of Reading’s Stenton Coin Collection. For more information or to view the collection, please contact us: specialcollections@reading.ac.uk

