The Cragg Vale Coiners: The Notorious Gang of Counterfeiters Who Almost Ruined the British Currency

 The Cragg Vale Coiners: The Notorious Gang of Counterfeiters Who Almost Ruined the British Currency

The Cragg Vale Coiners were a gang of counterfeiters who operated in the West Riding of Yorkshire in the late 18th century. The gang was led by David Hartley, a weaver who lived in Cragg Vale. The gang's activities were so successful that they are said to have come close to ruining the currency of Britain.

The Cragg Vale Coiners used a variety of methods to counterfeit coins, including clipping, filing, and casting. They also used a variety of techniques to disguise their counterfeit coins, including making them look like foreign coins and using different metals.

The gang's activities were eventually discovered by the authorities, and many of the members were arrested and convicted. David Hartley was sentenced to death and hanged in York in 1775.

The Cragg Vale Coiners were a notorious group of criminals, but they also played a significant role in British history. Their activities helped to highlight the problems with the British currency system at the time, and they led to reforms that made it more difficult to counterfeit coins.

Here are some additional details about the Cragg Vale Coiners:

• The gang was active from the early 1770s to the mid-1770s.

• The gang members were mostly weavers from the Cragg Vale area.

• The gang's counterfeit coins were so good that they were often indistinguishable from genuine coins.

• The gang's activities were eventually discovered by the authorities after a tip-off from a member of the gang.

• Many of the gang members were arrested and convicted.

• David Hartley was sentenced to death and hanged in York in 1775.

• The Cragg Vale Coiners were a notorious group of criminals, but they also played a significant role in British history.

The Cragg Vale Coiners are a reminder of the lengths that people will go to in order to make money. They also show the importance of having a strong currency system. The reforms that were made to the British currency system in the wake of the Cragg Vale Coiners' activities helped to make it more difficult to counterfeit coins and helped to protect the value of the British pound.

BBC 2 will show the first episode of a drama based on The Cragg Vale Coiners tonight The Gallows Pole- 31st May 2023.