1) Angels were beings believed to be incorporeal but which when manifesting themselves to human beings assumed a body of air, the least corporeal of the *elements. They existed in God's presence in heaven, having several classes or degrees. These were: *seraphim, *cherubim, thrones, dominions, virtues, powers, principalities, *archangels and angels. Angels are the closest order of spiritual beings to men.
2) An English gold coin, known as the 'angel *noble', worth one third of a pound, 6s 8d, first issued in 1464. Its name derived from the image of St Michael spearing a dragon on the obverse; the reverse displayed a ship at sea with rays of the sun from its masthead. The angel replaced the noble. It was also known as an angelot, and ange d'or (gold angel).
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.