A uniformed false messengerSourced
A false report of Napoleon’s death moved London’s market
In February 1814, a man claiming to be an officer arrived in Dover with news that Napoleon had died. As the story reached London, government securities rose in price. The government denied the report that afternoon, and prices returned to their previous levels. The supposed dispatch was part of a fraud.
A fast message was not necessarily a reliable one.
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Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814 · Wikimedia contributors
Great Stock Exchange Fraud of 1814 ↗
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Reviewed: 2026-10-10