PREV ARTICLE
NEXT ARTICLE
FULL ISSUE
PREV FULL ISSUE
THE 1740 PHILADELPHIA HALFPENCE RIOTAs noted in last week's article about the elusive New England countermark, in recent weeks I've been compiling for the Newman Numismatic Portal citations of articles on numismatics published in The Historical Magazine. Here's another one of particular interest, ably transcribed by NNP's Kelli West. Thanks! It's from the April 1861 issue, page 119. -Editor NOTES AND QUERIES A CURRENCY QUESTION (from a Philadelphia paper for January 8, 1740-1).- "Great quantities of English Half-Pence being imported here since the falling of the exchange, to be passed as Permits, some considerable Dealers were apprehensive we should be overstocked with them, and began last week to refuse them otherwise than at the rate of five for four pence. Their example being followed by many of the shop keepers, while others continued to take them for pence apiece, it occasioned considerable confusion in small dealings. And the bakers refusing to make any more bread ‘till the money was settled, the Mob rose on Friday night, and went round the town, breaking the windows of several merchants and others, and very much disturbed the city. They began to assemble again the night following; but by the vigilance and resolution of some of the magistrates, they were timely suppressed, and the city has since remained quiet." Julia Casey was able to quickly find the referenced article in The Pennsylvania Gazette for January 8, 1740. Thanks! We'll also transcribe this for the portal. -Editor   Plenty of numismatic items reference or commemorate riots, but few were sparked by a numismatic item. There was the Milwaukee bank riot of 1861 and the Cincinnati postage currency riot of 1862, but I'd never heard of this halfpence riot before. Fascinating history. -Editor To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
Wayne Homren, Editor The Numismatic Bibliomania Society is a non-profit organization promoting numismatic literature. See our web site at coinbooks.org. To submit items for publication in The E-Sylum, write to the Editor at this address: whomren@gmail.com To subscribe go to: https://my.binhost.com/lists/listinfo/esylum All Rights Reserved. NBS Home Page Contact the NBS webmaster 
|