The Angel

After the value of the noble fluctuated during the reign of Edward IV, a new gold coin with the same value of six shillings and eight pence was required. The angel was produced to replace the noble, with half-angels also produced around the same time with a value of three shillings and four pence.

The obverse of the coin depicted the archangel Michael slaying a dragon representing the devil, which gave the denomination its name. Different designs appeared across the denomination and its fractionals throughout the time it was in circulation, but this religious iconography saw it become important in the popular consciousness. It was even thought that wearing the angel as a protective talisman could help to prevent illness, a tradition that evolved from the ‘royal touch’ ceremony.