The 'Minor' Crime That Led To EXECUTION! Coin Clipping

One of the most common crimes that occurred inside of England during the Medieval, Tudor and Stuart periods was coin clipping. Coins were made from valuable metals and often when these were created they left a small amount of excess metal around the edges when the coin had been created. Because of this, people began to cut and clip the edges off coins and save these. Once these had been collected, they were then smelted down into silver and gold bars and sold off for lots of profit. Coin Clipping became such an issue that hundreds of people were involved in clipping gangs, in which thousands of pounds was earned a year! It was a very lucrative business, but coin clipping was a capital offence and it was one in which you could pay for with your life.
Executions of coin clippers did little to put people off doing it. Edward I during his reign persecuted people as he accused them of this crime, and it resulted in mass executions at the Tower of London. It was a problem that existed within the Kingdoms of many Kings and Queens, and it was seen as stealing from the monarchy. Many coin clippers were executed publicly in cities once their crimes were discovered. It was estimated that clipping and counterfeit coins during the reign of Charles I amounted to 1 in every 10 coins.
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