Newton Was a Detective Who Caught Counterfeiters

Short answer Newton spent the last 30 years of his life at the Royal Mint, and even went in disguise to get 28 counterfeiters punished.

Isaac Newton, famous for the apple and gravity. The last 30 years of his life were filled with something totally different.

In 1696, Newton joined England's Royal Mint. It's the place that makes the country's coins.

When Newton looked into it, about 20% of the coins brought in were fake.

One in five was fake?

Newton started chasing counterfeiters himself. He dressed up like a regular at the local taverns and gathered the evidence on his own.

28the number of counterfeiters Newton took to court and got punished

Among them was the notorious counterfeiter William Chaloner. He was executed in 1699.

Newton also made coin weights more even. Gold guinea coins used to be all over the place in weight, and he cut that gap way down.

A physicist playing detective too?

Portrait of Sir Isaac Newton, 1689 (brightened) (cropped).jpg, Godfrey Kneller, Public domain (source)