Kopeck Hunt

From house to house, from door to door, uniformed Russian police finecombed the cities of Moscow and Kiev last week, looking for kopecks. Bank officials conferred with mint officials, they agreed that too much Russian small change was disappearing from circulation. Despite all the rigor of Soviet laws designed to keep money in circulation, Russian citizens were up to their old trick of hoarding money, bronze and copper coins in particular.

Glum detectives scoured shops and restaurants, poked suspiciously in closets and cupboards, discovered many an old sock clinking with kopecks. Hardly ever were the hoardings large. An old woman peddler of Kiev who had amassed 800 rubles ($411) vas arrested, others were severely scolded, released. In Moscow, however, secret police arrested nine, including one Bogdanov. speculator; one Simonov, cashier; two private traders by the name of Frolov and Mashkov. Each of these amateur numismatists had assembled nearly $2.500 in coins.

While Soviet papers flayed them as "counter revolutionaries," Bogdanov, Simonov, Frolov, Mashkov & companions were marched in front of a firing squad, shot dead.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.