Putting Saints Into Circulation

During the reign of Oliver Cromwell the government ran out of silver with which to make the coinage of the realm. Cromwell therefore sent his men everywhere to see if they could find more of the precious metal. They returned to report that the only silver they could find was in the statues of the saints which were on display in various cathedrals of the land. “Good!” replied Cromwell, “we will melt down the saints and put them into circulation!”