[Account of the Frauds.] The Sixth edition much improved, being a more minute and particular account of that arch-impostor, Charles Price, Otherwise Patch, otherwise Wilmot, otherwise Powel, otherwise Brant, &c. &c. &c. many years a stock-broker and lottery-office-keeper in London and Westminster: in this edition the whole of his various forgeries and frauds [are] circumstantially related; together with his origin, and all the material occurrences of his life, including that desperate undertaking of forgeries on the Bank of England. In the carrying on of which, he, in the most artful and surprising manner, [defied] every mode of detection, set on foot by the directors and the magistrates of Bow-street, for a series of six years. With the ed

PRICE, Charles.

Editore: Printed for the Editor, and sold by G. Kearsley, at No. 46, in Fleet-Street. 1786, 1786

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68pp, half title, folding frontispiece portrait of Charles Patch in normal dress, and in disguise. 8vo. Uncut, half title & final page dusted, otherwise a clean copy, some further dusting to some uncut edges, sl. marginal tear to half title. Bound in recent plain boards. ESTC T189663. Charles Price (died 1787), known as Old Patch, was a prolific forger and swindler, who flooded London with counterfeit banknotes in the late 18th century. Working in secret, he produced his own plates, paper, ink, and watermarking devices, and expertly copied cashiers' signatures. His first bank notes were such effective imitations that they were paid without concern. In 1780 Price devised a new scheme. He deposited a £10 note into the Bank and received a teller's ticket in return; this negotiable receipt could be handed back to the Bank to receive the £10 deposited. Price altered tickets to read £100, an amount he received on presentation; the bank tellers would not see the shortfall until an end-of-day cash-up. Losses amounted up to £1,000. As 'Old Patch', Price was now sought by Bow Street Runners, who released reports describing his various disguises, including the eye patch and wide brimmed slouch hat. He was arrested, and committed to prison. Although Price tried to deny his identity, evidence was against him. He was found hanging from hat screws on the door of his cell; his death was judged suicide and his body was buried at midnight in a lonely cross-road grave at Tothill Fields.

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• Titolo: [Account of the Frauds.] The Sixth edition much improved, being a more minute and particular account of that arch-impostor, Charles Price, Otherwise Patch, otherwise Wilmot, otherwise Powel, otherwise Brant, &c. &c. &c. many years a stock-broker and lottery-office-keeper in London and Westminster: in this edition the whole of his various forgeries and frauds [are] circumstantially related; together with his origin, and all the material occurrences of his life, including that desperate ...
• Editore: Printed for the Editor, and sold by G. Kearsley, at No. 46, in Fleet-Street. 1786
• Data di pubblicazione: 1786
• Rilegatura: Rilegato
• Cataloghi dei venditori:
  • box two