Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-12-30 | Page 25 | Counterfeit Connecticut Bills

Counterfeit Connecticut Bills j jIn I In Ia the early part of ot the tho eighteenth century the colony olony of ot Connecticut was suffering from a a. want of duo due circulation of ot bills ot public credit To remedy rem rem- dy edy this condition the general court enacted that all rates hereafter hereafter- to be made pursuant to previous previous pre pre- acts shall be paid either cither in bullion bumon at eight shillings to the ounce Troy or in the bills bUls of ot the colon colony This latter move proved the more popular and by 1713 there had been emitted pounds sterling of ot such colonial bills There were counterfeiters counterfeiters counter counter- in Connecticut in those days as there thera have been the world over before and since These new colonial bills It appears were an easy mark for tor them and certain improvements on the previous practices of ot their predecessor professionals were made Judged by the high standard of ot counterfeiting criminals of ot today their work was done In a a. bungling way but they succeeded In converting many of ot tho the smaller notes into larger ones b by which diverse persons persona suffered suffered suf sut- serious damages as an old states It For the prevention of ot such practices the general court enacted that bills of ot credit not exceeding e OOOO should forthwith be printed to be exchanged for or bills outstanding and the people were warned by proclamation to bring their old bills to the treasury treasury treasury treas treas- ury to be exchanged on penalty of or having their demands refused after the expiration of ot a stated Interval But the bills did not come in and counterfeits counterfeits coun coun- increased and became so common that the general court took drastic measures It enacted that the counterfeiters when caught ht were to suffer sutter the penalties To be locked standing In the pillory for tor seven lecture days to be branded with a a. C on tho the forehead to forfeit their estates states and to bo be forever debarred from tradIng trading trading trad trad- ing in the tho colony under penalty of ot being publicly whipped Copyright ht Press Press- Publishing Co yg 1