Æ medal by J. Croker, 44.5mm, weight 33.52 grams. ANNA· D: G: MAG: BRI  FR: ET· HIB: REG: Her draped bust left, IC on truncation.  Rv. PIETAS · AVGVSTÆ ·  Queen, enthroned, presents charter to kneeling clergy, in ex. PRIMITIIS · ET · DECIMIS·  ECCLESIÆ · CONCESSIS · MDCCIV ·  Eimer 404, M.I. 43.  Scratches in obverse field, otherwise light toning, GVF/GEF

John Croker, born in Dresden, Saxony in 1670 came to England in 1691 and was appointed assistant engraver to the Mint in 1697. He became Chief engraver in 1705 and died 1741.

The subject of the medal, Queen Anne’s Bounty for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of Poor Clergy, was established in 1704 with the aim of tackling the more extreme examples of poverty among the beneficed clergy of the Church of England. The Church of England leadership wanted to strengthen their resources in response to the challenges of nonconformism and Roman Catholicism. It was widely felt that clerical poverty was a significant impediment to the church’s activity and therefore aimed to give the clergy increased social respect, improve their means of doing good; as some clergy were having to take on other work, usually agricultural or educational, to supplement their earnings. Some clerics were taking on multiple livings and not even living in their own parish.