Coin Act 1732
Coin Act 1732
- What it was: An Act of the Parliament of Great Britain making it high treason to counterfeit gold coins called Broad Pieces (23 or 25 shillings).
- Why it was passed: In 1732 a royal proclamation banned using broad pieces in payments and ordered them to be melted down for new coins. Revenue collectors could buy the pieces to encourage surrender, which unintentionally encouraged counterfeiting.
- Key provisions: It was treason to counterfeit the broad pieces or to sell or pass them knowing they were forged. There was a £40 reward for information leading to a treason conviction. Prosecutions had to start within six months of the offence. The penalty was death, with no corruption of blood.
- Pardons and procedures: If an informer testified against someone who was convicted, the informer received a pardon. The rules of evidence and procedure followed those used for other coin counterfeiting cases.
- Repeal: The Act was repealed in 1867 by the Statute Law Revision Act.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:09 (CET).