Elizabeth I and the Great Debasement Help the Queen tackle ’s currency troubles

Queen Elizabeth I, unknown artist © National Portrait Gallery, London This activity… Suggestions for use Supports: Pupils step into the role of the Queen’s KS3 History, Unit 5 advisers in this activity. They help Elizabeth I: how Elizabeth I analyse, understand and successfully did she tackle respond to the currency troubles facing the problems of her reign? England in 1560. Helps pupils to: A card-sort activity and decision-making Key Stage 3 Evaluate Elizabeth I’s task are included in the PowerPoint History decisions and effectiveness as a monarch. resource. Unit 5 This activity is designed Analyse Elizabeth I’s Use this activity to: to follow a response to the crisis visit to the caused by the debasement Introduce or brainstorm some of the Coins & Kings of England’s coinage. exhibition or aims or qualities a monarch might want the KS3 lesson: (for example, to appear strong and Monarchs and Investigate what caused the Elizabeth I’s currency powerful). You may also consider the troubles and how they monarch’s responsibilities such as the affected the economy and economy, military, religious policy etc. society. Ask pupils to sort, analyse and prioritise Develop speaking and evidence and information about the listening skills and write crisis facing Elizabeth I in 1560. or argue persuasively using causal factors and Explain aspects of Elizabethan society historical vocabulary. during the queen’s reign to help Requires: contextualise the pupils’ research. PowerPoint projector or interactive whiteboard. Ask pupils to write (or give orally) a report describing England’s currency Print outs of card sort problems and an analysis of what caused activity (included below). them.

Coins & Kings Schools resources Ask pupils to work in teams in the decision-making activity as they Go further with the Mint... consider the pros and cons of each Monarchs and the Mint: Making the possible response to a range of nation’s coins at the Tower dilemmas faced by Elizabeth I during the crisis. Pupils learn how closely their Introduction resource advice matches against the Queen’s This PowerPoint decisions and actions (could be adapted resource helps you into a game). tell the story of the Mint at the Tower so Encourage pupils to reflect on what your pupils have a they have learned about Elizabeth I’s good understanding reign and her qualities as a monarch, before they arrive. including her effectiveness in dealing with the problems caused by the Great More Key Stage 3 case studies: Debasement. Edward I’s Power Each PowerPoint slide coinage crisis Point provides historical Unit 2 notes background on how Pupils help the King Elizabeth I responded to bring England’s the crisis. currency problems under control. Kings on Coins: Images Background and notes from the Mint at the Elizabeth I and the Great Debasement Unit 7 Background books and articles: Pupils consider how monarchs from Henry • CE Challis (ed), A New History of the VIII to William III have (Cambridge: Cambridge been depicted. University Press, 1992) More than money? • Amy Dempsey, ‘Elizabeth I: Restoring the English currency’, National Maritime Unit 8 Museum website. How far were coins used as progaganda in the aftermath of More useful links England’s civil wars? A teacher’s guide to visiting the Tower King Edward I by Louis Philippe Boitard; King William III, after Sir Peter Lely; King Charles II, unknown artist © National Portrait Gallery, London Gallery, Portrait © National artist King Charles II, unknown Lely; Sir Peter III, after King William Philippe Boitard; Louis I by King Edward History at the Tower Find all resources at hrp.org.uk/towerlearning education & learning

Coins & Kings © Historic Royal Palaces and the Royal Mint Museum Schools resources ‘Debasing’ Some monarchs During his People called When people coins means debase their reign Henry Henry VIII ‘Old bring , making coins countries’ VIII (1509-47) Coppernose’. or foreign coins made of little coins to raise instructed the As coins made to the Mint to gold or silver funds. Mixing Mint to debase during his reign be turned into mixed with in greater new coins with wore down, English coins, a more and more amounts of cheaper metals their thin silver certain amount base (cheaper) cheaper metal such as . surfaces faded is kept as a metals such as means more He used the and cheaper profit for the copper. coins can be money to fund copper would monarch. The made for less wars and an shine through profit is called precious gold extravagant Henry’s portrait. ‘seigniorage’. and silver. lifestyle.

Edward VI Edward VI After Tradesmen Life is uncertain (1547-53) (1547-53) attempting and farmers for workers. improved the declared the to reform the are afraid of Artisans and purity of some face value of currency early receiving ‘bad’ labourers get of his coins, but debased coins in her reign, money for their their wages in few were spent. to be worth less Mary I (1553- goods. They are coins that vary Instead people so they would 8) resorted to ignoring laws in purity and hoarded the match their minting more that regulate impurity - which good coins and debased coins prices and are means their true kept spending content more once she ran charging high value varies. the debased closely. The out of money. prices to guard ones. public lost over against losses. £1 million.

Elizabeth I and the Great Debasement Coins & Kings KS3 card sort activity Schools resources Debased coins England’s coins Foreign The reputation Some of have made it vary in degrees merchants and of England’s the Queen’s easier for poor of purity bankers refuse monarchy financial quality foreign and impurity to accept is suffering experts believe coins to make causing much English coins. as a result people will their way into confusion and Instead they of the Great always spend England’s distrust. It is insist on being Debasement. impure, circulation, as making the paid in gold, debased coins people pass process of which has before they off the foreign buying and contributed to spend coins of coins as English selling very a gold shortage pure gold or ones. difficult. in England. silver.

Public distrust There is a lot Trade relations Prices are rising Making new in England’s of ‘bad’ money with other and people coins for the coins is likely being used countries have have lost faith country would to continue in England. been damaged in England’s be expensive. as long as Realising the because of coins. Many are the worth coins were England’s finding more However, if a of a debased, debased advantage in recoinage is is artificially people are currency. melting down done efficiently, greater than hoarding older or exporting the Mint could the worth of coins with a their debased restore the the precious higher content coins. currency and metal of which of precious make a profit. it is made. metal.

Elizabeth I and the Great Debasement Coins & Kings KS3 card sort activity Schools resources