Mary Butterworth's Iron

Mary Butterworth's Iron
Origin	Mary Butterworth
Type	Clothing Iron
Effects	Turns pressed cloth into paper money
Downsides	Burns one’s extremities until wrinkled
Activation	Placing on top paper currency
Collected by	Warehouse 11
Section	Out and About List
Date of Collection	May 29, 1824
[Source]

Origin

Mary Butterworth (July 27, 1686 – February 7, 1775) started counterfeiting colonial Rhode Island bills with cotton cloth instead of the usual metal plates. A starched scrap applied with an iron’s heat could peel the ink off money. The rest of the looping designs were freehanded with quill while the transfer cloths were burned to ash. At her peak, bills were being sold for half the stated value and damaging the local economy. She was brought to trial after buying a larger family home in 1722. Although her brother turned evidence, all charges were dismissed with the warning to never counterfeit again. Or have missing ears, whipped backs, jail time and double damages.

Effects

Placing on a sample bill will burn the exact same engravings into a piece of cloth. The correct size, color and roughness form as the sheet shrivels to the matching proportions. From the most recent bill they can make as many copies as they want. Will also cause the ears, fingers, toes and hair to burn from exposure. Causes them to shrink into dreadful little thing.

Destroyed when the Black Hole of Calcutta Monument on the other side of the current aisle activated, effectively blowing every piece there to smithereens.