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Quiz about A History of the Coinage of England
Quiz about A History of the Coinage of England

A History of the Coinage of England Quiz


My hobby is metal detecting, and I have found coins from all periods of English history. I thought I would set you a nice quiz on the coins that our kings and queens have given us. Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by mikew41. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
mikew41
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
263,876
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
688
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. For over 500 years from 765 AD, the only coin minted in England was the silver penny. Which English king issued new values of coins in 1279? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which British king's name never appeared on English coins? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which English king introduced the first official gold coinage? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Angels, Ryals, and Laurels are examples of which kind of coin? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which British monarch's name appeared as GUILIELMUS on his coins? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which British king issued the "Declaration" coinage? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which English monarch issued the first "Milled" (machine made) coinage? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which English monarch first minted the Sovereign? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. During which British monarch's reign was the first official token coinage issued? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What is the highest face value of a coin ever issued in England? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. For over 500 years from 765 AD, the only coin minted in England was the silver penny. Which English king issued new values of coins in 1279?

Answer: Edward I

Edward I introduced the "New Coinage" in 1279 to counter widespread forging. In addition to the penny, new farthings, halfpennies and a fourpence piece called a groat were issued.
2. Which British king's name never appeared on English coins?

Answer: John

King John's English coins still had Henricus as the monarch's name from the reign of Henry II. John's name did appear on his coinage minted in Ireland.
3. Which English king introduced the first official gold coinage?

Answer: Edward III

Edward III was envious of the gold coinage issued by King Philip de Valois in France and decided to mint some of his own.
4. Angels, Ryals, and Laurels are examples of which kind of coin?

Answer: Gold coins

The Ryal was worth 10 shillings. An Angel was worth 6s 8d when first issued, rising to 10 shillings by the reign of Mary. A Laurel was a 20 shilling piece of James I.
5. Which British monarch's name appeared as GUILIELMUS on his coins?

Answer: William III

Guilielmus is Latin for William.
6. Which British king issued the "Declaration" coinage?

Answer: Charles I

During the Civil War, Charles issued a coinage bearing the "Oxford Declaration" on the reverse promising to uphold "RELIG PROT LEG ANG LIBER PAR" ("The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England and the liberty of Parliament"). This blatant advertising didn't seem to work and he was beheaded in London on 30 Jan 1649.
7. Which English monarch issued the first "Milled" (machine made) coinage?

Answer: Elizabeth I

The first milled coins were made for Elizabeth by Eloye Mestrelle in 1561 but were not a success, as the machine process was still slower than minting coins by hand. He was dismissed from the job and subsequently hanged for counterfeiting in 1578.
8. Which English monarch first minted the Sovereign?

Answer: Henry VII

In 1489, Henry VII issued the first ever gold coin worth one full pound. From the design of the king enthroned in full majesty, the coin was named the Sovereign. Modern sovereigns were first issued by George III to replace the Guinea in 1817.
9. During which British monarch's reign was the first official token coinage issued?

Answer: George III

In 1816 British silver coins were produced with an intrinsic value substantially below their face value. Until then, a Shilling contained a shillings worth of silver. Today, depending on metal prices, the one penny piece is sometimes worth more than its nominal face value as scrap.
10. What is the highest face value of a coin ever issued in England?

Answer: £100

In 1987, the Royal Mint issued the Britannia series of gold bullion coins. There were 4 coins with face values of £10, £25, £50 and £100. It wouldn't be a good idea to spend one if you found it in your change. Even though the £100 coin is legal tender, it contains a full ounce of gold, making it worth much more than £100 on the bullion market!
Source: Author mikew41

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
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