COINS AND HEALTH

Coins and your Health – Crime does not Always Pay!

Counterfeiting in the Nineteenth Century was a serious problem but also something of a cottage industry. Coins were often faked on a small scale in homes and couples carried on a profitable trade. However coins are small and when the police got involved the temptation was to swallow the evidence.

On 29th September 1861 Lloyd's Illustrated Newspaper reported on Alfred and Mary Parr charged with possession of counterfeit coin. Mrs. Parr aged 28 had paid 2/6d for something costing 6d. The shop worker was suspicious and the police were called. When the police arrived she threw herself to the ground and swallowed the bad coin.

Her home was searched and nine fake halfcrowns were found and three bad half sovereigns. Alfred was found not guilty as he said the parcel of bad coins belonged to his wife and he knew nothing about them (A likely story!) Mary was sentenced to two year's imprisonment. The court was told she previously been charged with similar offences and several times had swallowed the evidence. The man had lived on her profits gained from passing bad coins.

1st August 1874 the Edinburgh Evening News reported that a gang of four men and a woman had been in court in London and charged with possession of three hundred counterfeit coins. During a struggle with police two of the men had tried to swallow the coins.

On 3rd September 1892 the Derby Daily Telegraph said that Henry Lawrence had bought some bacon with a bad shilling. When challenged he produced two sixpences, one of which was counterfeit. He swallowed both. When his home was raided twenty one shillings were found and a crucible for melting metal. He had previously been sentenced for seven years for possession of a crucible for making counterfeits.

The last story shows that the criminals did not always get away with it. On 8th February 1868 the Birmingham Daily Post told the story of a woman who regularly swallowed coins to hide the evidence from her youth. Unfortunately they corroded in her insides causing epilepsy and she died after two years' painful illness.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
GERMS AND MONEY (https://www.coinbooks.org/v23/esylum_v23n14a35.html)

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