A rather unusual and decidedly British ceremony takes place each year in late October. The City of London pays rent to the Crown for two pieces of land, even though it no longer knows their exact locations! For the first piece of land, somewhere in Shropshire, the City pays two knives, one blunt and one sharp. For the second piece of land, 6 giant horseshoes and 61 nails are handed over.
The Ceremony of Quit Rents is the oldest legal ceremony in England, apart from the Coronation, and usually takes place between St Michael’s Day (October 11) and St Martin’s (November 11) every year in the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in London.