The Patent Metallic
Air-tight Coffin Co., whose name pretty accurately describes their
productions, in 1861 introduced hermetically-sealed coffins with plate
glass panels in the lid, exceedingly useful articles in case of
contagious diseases, &c., &c. The trade in coffin "furniture" seems to
have originated about 1760, when one ingenious "Mole" pushed it forward;
and among the list of patents taken out in 1796 by a local worthy there
is one for "a patent coffin," though its particular speciality could not
have met with much approval, as although some thousands of bodies have
been removed from our various sepultures nothing curious or rarer than
rotten boards and old lead has been brought to light.
~Coinage.~--So far had our patriotic forefathers proceeded in the art of
making money that about the middle of the last century it was estimated
over one half the copper coin in circulation was counterfeit, and that
nine-tenths thereof was manufactured in Birmingham, where 1,000
halfpennies could be had of the makers for 25s. Boulton's big pennies
were counterfeited by lead pennies faced with copper. One of these would
be a curiosity now.
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