diness than aught else, those of Birmingham not
excepted, but quite a change has come o'er the scene now, and with all
the brave glitter of paint and glaring gas they attempt to rival the
public-houses. The Birmingham Coffeehouse Company, Limited (originally
miscalled The Artizan's Clubhouse Company), which came into existence
March 27, 1877, with a capital of L20,000 in 10s. shares, has now near
upon a score of houses open, and their business is so successful that
very fair dividends are realised.

~Coffins.~--Excluding textile fabrics and agricultural produce,
Birmingham supplies almost every article necessary for the comfort of
man's life, and it is therefore not surprising that some little
attention has been given to the construction of the "casket" which is to
enclose his remains when dead. Coffins of wood, stone, lead, &c., have
been known for centuries, but coffins of glass and coffins of brass must
be ranked amongst the curiosities of our later trades. Two of the latter
kind polished, lacquered, and decorated in a variety of ways, with
massive handles and emblazoned shields, were made here some few years
back for King Egbo Jack and another dark-skinned potentate of South
Africa. "By particular request" each of these coffins were provided with
four padlocks, two outside and two inside, though how to use the latter
must have been a puzzle even for a dead king. 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 counterfei