Q 01/05

Which English king's 1672 'Stop of the Exchequer' ruined many London goldsmith-bankers?

A) Charles II

B) James II

C) William III

D) Charles I

Answer · why

A) Charles II

Charles II's Stop of the Exchequer in January 1672 suspended repayment of government loans, bankrupting several London goldsmith-bankers who had lent ...

Q 02/05

The word 'bankrupt' comes from the Italian 'banca rotta', meaning what?

A) Empty box

B) Lost ledger

C) Broken bench

D) Closed door

Answer · why

C) Broken bench

The symbolic ruin of an insolvent trader.

Q 03/05

What is the oldest existing retail bank in the world?

A) Bank of Scotland

B) Barclays of London

C) Berenberg of Hamburg

D) Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Answer · why

D) Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena

Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, founded in 1472 as a charitable pawn lender (monte di pietà), is widely cited as the world's oldest surviving bank.

Q 04/05

Which Italian city saw the first Monte di Pietà, a charitable pawn lender, open in 1462?

A) Perugia

B) Florence

C) Bologna

D) Padua

Answer · why

A) Perugia

Perugia's Monte di Pietà, opened in 1462 with Franciscan preaching behind it, was the first of the charitable pawn banks that spread across Italy, len...

Q 05/05

What is the world's oldest merchant banking house, founded around 1590?

A) Coutts

B) Berenberg

C) Hope & Co.

D) Barings

Answer · why

B) Berenberg

Berenberg was founded in Hamburg in 1590 by the brothers Hans and Paul Berenberg, Protestant refugees from Antwerp, making it the world's oldest survi...