DiscoverCuriosity Fuel - Daily stories. Five-minute facts#4 The Crime of Coining: Why Shaving a Penny Could Get You Killed
#4 The Crime of Coining: Why Shaving a Penny Could Get You Killed

#4 The Crime of Coining: Why Shaving a Penny Could Get You Killed

Update: 2025-08-12
Share

Description

Before paper money, the value of a coin was the metal it contained. This led to a widespread and dangerous crime: coin clipping. Discover the forgotten history of "coining," why shaving tiny bits of silver off a penny was a capital offense, and how Sir Isaac Newton himself led the hunt for England's most notorious counterfeiter.

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

#4 The Crime of Coining: Why Shaving a Penny Could Get You Killed

#4 The Crime of Coining: Why Shaving a Penny Could Get You Killed

Curiosity Studios