"The trade of counterfeit halfpence, though it got a temporary check within the last five weeks, is again getting forward. The turnpike men, coffee-house waiters, haberdashers' shops, fruit women, and porter houses, are at their old work. The turnpike men will give bad, but not take them at present. If the traveller objects, he is abused and kept waiting, perhaps ten minutes, for change of 6d.: the coffee-house waiters say they have no others, and that they give and take; the haberdashers fold the change up in a clean bit of paper, which when opened, contains the worst of counterfeit halfpence: and the fruit women and porter houses say 'they give what they take.'"--(_Times, Oct. 2, 1794._) * * * * * "Bad shillings are sold to chandlers shops, turnpike men, and waiters at coffee-houses and taverns, at the rate of _twenty shillings_ for _five and sixpence_. No wonder they are in such general circulation."--(_Times, Nov. 29, 1794._) * * * * * "At this season the Jew fruitmen should be particularly guarded against. They care not at how small a price they sell, so the quantum reaches to _silver_. In that case it is their custom 'to hope you will give them good silver, as the gardeners are very particular.' They then rub it with both thumbs, dexterously contriving to fillip up your shilling, and drop down another, which they beg you to change, protesting that they believed it good but are not certain. Serving you the same a second or third time, and you are induced through an appearance of great civility, and apparent ignorance, to indulge them. The silver you receive as your own is speciously good: but it changes black in a few hours. The writer of this bought his experience at the price of three succeeding shillings."--(_Times, July, 30, 1795._) * * * * * "BAD HALFPENCE. "To the Master of the Mint-- "The Petition of more than Ten Millions of bad Halfpence, "Most humbly showeth, "That your Petitioners, for a number of years, have given bread to thousands of his Majesty's subjects, called Coiners: and that they have been long in uncontrouled circulation: "That your Petitioners have enabled Waiters at Taverns, and other houses, to wear hair-powder, to the manifest increase of his Majesty's Stamp-duties. "That your Petitioners have been the means of the Turnpike Tolls increasing in value, on account of the Toll-takers being obliged to put off a certain quantity of your Petitioners, each week, at a stipulated price from the Renters.