The publican gets, as he thinks, ten shillings' worth of silver back.
Does he? Oh, dear, no! There were three bad two-shilling pieces amongst
it!
It would be difficult to hit upon two more contrasting illustrations
than the following. The first instance goes to prove that children are
called into play as "passers"--though unconsciously so--in the case
when the smallest "coined" piece is to be thrust on the public.
A man used his little girl to go into small confectioners' shops and
purchase a farthing's worth of sweetmeats. The little one tendered
a bad penny, obtaining her sweets and giving her father the three
farthings change. Both were arrested and charged. The child, however,
was taken out of the dock and put in the box to give evidence against
her father. Her childish evidence was convincing enough, and at the end
of the examination, the man, overcome with better feelings, contrived
to catch the little one up in his arms, ere he was sent down below,
caressing her fondly and covering her tiny face with kisses.
Such a method--an awkward method, and one in every way calculated to
be eventually found out--stands in strong contrast with the really
delicate and ingenious means employed by a lady whose efforts at
changing a sovereign were worthy a better cause.
Her _modus operandi_ was to select say a boot-maker's shop, generally
in a well-populated suburban district, and purchase boots to the value
of nineteen and sixpence.
"Will you kindly send them to my house, No. 42, Easyway Terrace, in an
hour's time?" she asks the shopkeeper.
[Illustration: FIG. 15.--COINS PACKED IN TISSUE PAPER.]
[Illustration: CARRYING COUNTERFEIT COIN.]
"Certainly, madam."
"I will pay the messenger when he brings them--I find I have not
sufficient money in my purse. Mrs. Adams is my name," she further
remarks, and leaves the shop.
In an hour's time the boy with the boots is on his way to No. 42,
Easyway Terrace. Curiously enough, he is met outside by Mrs. Adams
herself!
"Oh! are those boots for Mrs. Adams?"
"Yes, mum."
"Thank you. Let me see," playing with her purse, "nineteen and six.
There's a sovereign. You can keep the sixpence for being so punctual."
The lad is delighted, and away he goes whistling. The lady is equally
pleased--away she goes with the boots to a pawnbroker's. The shopkeeper
is in a rage--for the sovereign is a counterfeit one!
It will be well to state the best means of detecting counterfeit coin.
The simplest and most effective test is to bite it. If the coin is bad,
the bite will produce a very gritty sensation on the teeth, which is
never produced by a genuine piece of money. This test will be found to
be an infallible one.
[Illustration: THE COUNTERFEITER AND HIS CHILD.]
_Beauties._
[Illustration: MISS AGNES C. STEVENSON
_From a photo. by Alex. Bassano, Old Bond Street, W._