milled perimeter compared to the vulnerable, smooth border of early hammered currency.
When Bad Money Drove Out the Good
Clipping one sixteenth of an ounce from a single coin might sound petty, but the habit spread across Europe like wildfire.
By the late seventeenth century in England, virtually every circulating coin was badly mutilated. Some silver pieces were shaved down to half their original weight.
Merchants began carrying small scales on their belts, refusing to take coins at face value. They weighed every single piece offered for a transaction. Trade
There’s more to discover. Continue to the next page for the rest of this article.
