BHM2185 Reopening of the Royal Exchange. Thomas Gresham (1518-1579) was a English merchant, financier and part time spy. To provide a convenient meeting place for exchange dealers Bankers and currency traders) in London, Gresham built the Royal Exchange (1566–68). It was originally just known as the “Bourse” but came under royal patronage in 1571 and thus became the  Royal Exchange.  It was Gresham who advised Queen Elizabeth I to recoin the currency following her father’s debasement of it with inferior metal. Establishing the monetary principle known today as Gresham’s Law that “bad money drives out good.”  A superb example. Mark free and spot free with a choice patina. A massive medal weighing in at over 200 grams. Unusual to find such a large medal with no blemishes. FDC