Antique 1806 Engraving of Sir Thomas Gresham – Founder of the Royal Exchange

A superb copperplate engraving of Sir Thomas Gresham (c.1519–1579), the renowned English merchant, financier, and founder of the Royal Exchange in London. Published on October 23rd, 1806 by J. Wilkes and engraved by J. Chapman, this portrait is a fine representation of a key figure in Elizabethan economic history.
Gresham is shown in a detailed Tudor-style outfit, with rich textures and a wise, contemplative gaze. Below the oval portrait is an architectural vignette of the original Royal Exchange, the historic London building he established in 1571 to support England’s commercial development.
Gresham’s legacy lives on in institutions like Gresham College, and in Gresham’s Law, an early principle of monetary economics (“bad money drives out good”).
Size 11x16 cm