PRIMARY

Money and coins in Shakespeare's time

There were more denominations of coins minted in Elizabethan times than there have ever been at any other time in history. Twenty different coins were in use, made either of gold or of silver, and no copper coins or paper money like we have today.The basic denominations were pounds, shillings and pence. The written abbreviation for pound is £, for shilling is s and for penny/pence is d. (Pence, not pennies, is the plural of penny).

12 pence make 1 shilling 20 shillings make 1 pound 12d = 1s 20s = £1 (1s = 5p nowadays)

(Note s and d are written after the amount but £ is written before it.)

For a full range of resources see: shakespeare.org.uk/primaryresources

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Money and coins in Shakespeare's time

Starting with the smallest, the coins were:

Half penny ½ penny Silver

Three farthings ¾ penny Silver

Penny 1 penny Silver

Three half pence 1½ pence Silver

Half groat 2 pence Silver

Threepence 3 pence Silver

Groat 4 pence Silver

Sixpence 6 pence Silver

Shilling 12 pence = 1 shilling Silver

Half crown 2 shilling and 6 pence Silver

For a full range of resources see: shakespeare.org.uk/primaryresources

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Money and coins in Shakespeare's time

Half crown 2 shilling and 6 pence Gold

Quarter angel 2 shilling and 6 pence Gold

Crown 5 shillings Silver

Crown 5 shillings Gold

Half angel 5 shillings Gold

Angel 10 shillings Gold

Half pound sovereign 10 shillings Gold

Ryal 15 shillings Gold

Pound sovereign 20 shillings = 1 pound Silver

Gold sovereign 30 shillings Gold

How many different ways can you find to make one shilling?

For a full range of resources see: shakespeare.org.uk/primaryresources

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